Robotic teleoperation: a cross-cultural study of user experience and performance

Audonnet, Florent P. (2025) Robotic teleoperation: a cross-cultural study of user experience and performance. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis explores the performance and user experience of robotic teleoperation systems, focusing on the impact of various factors such as control methods, robot types, and levels of immersion. Robotic teleoperation, which allows human operators to control robots directly by moving some part of their body, is a critical technology in fields ranging from industrial automation to medical robotics. However, the cognitive and physical demands placed on operators, especially non-experts, remain under-explored. This research addresses these gaps by developing a modular, plug-and-play framework for direct teleoperation and conducting extensive user studies across different hardware configurations and cultural contexts.

The core contributions of this thesis include a systematic comparison of simulation software for robotic arm manipulation using ROS2, the development of a novel teleoperation framework called TELESIM, and an investigation into the effects of immersion through a mixed reality system named IMMERTWIN. The systematic comparison, achieved through a benchmark of various ROS2-compatible simulation platforms evaluates their suitability for teleoperation tasks, resource utilization, and their potential to serve as digital twins. This evaluation provides critical insights into the strengths and limitations of current simulation tools in supporting real-time robotic operations. Using the insights gained from our evaluation, TELESIM, a modular and plug-and-play framework, was designed to enable seamless control of different robotic systems with minimal setup time. It leverages digital twin technology to offer real-time feedback and control, allowing operators to interact with the robot to execute tasks in the real world. This framework was tested across multiple robotic platforms (e.g., UR3, Baxter, UR5e), control methods (e.g., VR controllers) and countries (e.g., UK, Japan) offering a flexible solution for diverse teleoperation scenarios. Additionally, IMMERTWIN, a mixed reality system, was developed to explore how varying levels of immersion affect operator performance and cognitive load. By integrating real-world data into virtual environments, IMMERTWIN enhances user interaction with robotic systems, providing a more intuitive and immersive teleoperation experience. The research also delves into external factors such as user expertise and trust in robots, examining how these elements influence teleoperation performance across different cultural contexts.

Key findings demonstrate that robot type, controller configuration, and immersion level significantly affect task performance and operator workload. For instance, the study revealed that different robots such as the Universal Robot 3 or Baxter, exhibit varying levels of precision and ease of control, which directly impacts task completion times and error rates. Quantitative results showed the Red Design (Baxter with VR controllers) achieved a 77.42% cube placement rate compared to only 46.29% for the Blue Design (UR3 with SenseGlove). Task completion rates also varied dramatically, with 85% of participants using VR controllers successfully completing tower-building tasks within the allocated time, compared to only 46% of those using SenseGlove controllers. Immersive systems like IMMERTWIN, which integrate real-world data into virtual environments, were shown to reduce cognitive load by providing more natural interaction cues and better situational awareness. NASA-TLX assessments demonstrated that IMMERTWIN reduced mental demand scores by 23% compared to non-immersive systems. Additionally, the research highlights the importance of external factors such as user expertise and trust in robots. Non-expert users, who participated in a large-scale international study conducted in both the UK and Japan (n=74), reported varying levels of comfort and trust depending on their cultural background and prior experience with robotic systems. The study found that the Japanese participants generally exhibited higher levels of trust toward robots compared to their UK counterparts, with Japanese participants scoring 41.94 on the Negative Attitude Towards Robot Scale compared to 49.43 for UK participants, representing a statistically significant difference of 15%. The Yellow Design (UR5e with VR controllers) produced the lowest NASA-TLX mental demand scores (8.94 out of 21), while the Blue Design resulted in the highest physical demand (11.65) and frustration levels (10.76). Overall, the thesis provides valuable insights into optimizing teleoperation systems for non-expert users by balancing technological complexity with human-centric design principles, ultimately paving the way for more accessible and efficient human-robot collaboration.

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• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Supported by funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (EPSRC DTA No. 2605103).
• Subjects: T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
• Colleges/Schools: College of Science and Engineering > School of Computing Science
• Funder's Name: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• Supervisor's Name: Aragon Camarasa, Dr. Gerardo
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-85123
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 19 May 2025 13:53
• Last Modified: 19 May 2025 13:58
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.85123
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85123

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