Deformation of the panoramic sphere into an ellipsoid to induce self-motion in telepresence users

2025-08-18

AI Summary

High latency (up to several seconds) in 360° video streaming for mobile telepresence systems impairs control continuity and real-time user responsiveness. Method: This paper proposes a vision-based feedback technique leveraging spherical-to-ellipsoidal geometric deformation—guided by optical flow—to induce illusory self-motion without physical displacement, thereby enhancing perceptual continuity and interaction intuitiveness under latency. The approach requires no additional hardware, operating solely via image processing on standard 360° cameras and robotic platforms. Contribution/Results: Experiments under 500 ms latency show no significant improvement in task efficiency or collision rate; moreover, the method may exacerbate VR-induced cybersickness. These findings reveal fundamental limitations of illusion-based strategies for high-fidelity teleoperation and provide novel empirical evidence and design insights for latency-compensatory visual paradigms.

Technology Category

• Computer Vision: Motion & Tracking
• Intelligent Robots: Manipulation
• Humans and AI: Interaction Techniques and Devices

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: LLM based quality controls for crowd work
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web learning to rank, online learning, and counterfactual learning for ranking

Abstract

Mobile telepresence robots allow users to feel present and explore remote environments using technology. Traditionally, these systems are implemented using a camera onboard a mobile robot that can be controlled. Although high-immersion technologies, such as 360-degree cameras, can increase situational awareness and presence, they also introduce significant challenges. Additional processing and bandwidth requirements often result in latencies of up to seconds. The current delay with a 360-degree camera streaming over the internet makes real-time control of these systems difficult. Working with high-latency systems requires some form of assistance to the users. This study presents a novel way to utilize optical flow to create an illusion of self-motion to the user during the latency period between user sending motion commands to the robot and seeing the actual motion through the 360-camera stream. We find no significant benefit of using the self-motion illusion to performance or accuracy of controlling a telepresence robot with a latency of 500 ms, as measured by the task completion time and collisions into objects. Some evidence is shown that the method might increase virtual reality (VR) sickness, as measured by the simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ). We conclude that further adjustments are necessary in order to render the method viable.

Problem

• Reduce latency in 360-degree camera telepresence systems
• Enhance user self-motion illusion during high-latency periods
• Mitigate VR sickness in telepresence robot control

Innovation

• Deform panoramic sphere into ellipsoid
• Use optical flow for self-motion illusion
• Address high-latency telepresence challenges