Teleoperation of On-Road Vehicles via Immersive Telepresence Using Off-the-shelf Components

The quality of visual information and response time are crucial aspects of any modern teleoperation system. This is especially true for operation of on-road vehicles, which must function in highly dynamic, unforgiving environments. In this work we demonstrate that a suitable teleoperation system can be exclusively composed of low-cost off-the-shelf components yet still meet the high performance demands of remotely driving a car on the road. The user is given immersive situational awareness through an on-board head-mounted display linked to an actuated stereoscopic camera, thereby maintaining depth perception and intuitive camera control. Communication speeds are evaluated over various wireless connection types, and a usability study shows that the system allows for advanced driving maneuvers while remotely controlled. 3G and 4G data networks are demonstrated to provide adequate bandwidth for the task given proper data compression, thus expanding the potential range for teleoperation. Applications for such a system are further discussed, extending to fleet management and autonomous vehicle safety measures.