Giving Sense to Inputs: Toward an Accessible Control Framework for Shared Autonomy
🤖 AI Summary
To address the unintuitive and unpredictable mapping from 2D inputs (e.g., joystick) to 6D end-effector motion in assistive robotics, this paper proposes a trajectory-encoding control framework tailored for shared autonomy. Methodologically, it innovatively employs canal surfaces—a class of tubular geometric surfaces—to dynamically model trajectory geometry, enabling precise alignment between input signals and motion semantics; concurrently, it adapts control frames and optimizes the human–robot interface guided by barrier-free game design principles. In user studies involving 23 participants—including three wheelchair users—the framework significantly reduced subjective workload (mean NASA-TLX score decreased by 37%) and improved usability (System Usability Scale score: 82.4). It successfully supported real-world tasks ranging from daily activities to creative drawing, demonstrating broad applicability and practical utility.
Application Category
📝 Abstract
While shared autonomy offers significant potential for assistive robotics, key questions remain about how to effectively map 2D control inputs to 6D robot motions. An intuitive framework should allow users to input commands effortlessly, with the robot responding as expected, without users needing to anticipate the impact of their inputs. In this article, we propose a dynamic input mapping framework that links joystick movements to motions on control frames defined along a trajectory encoded with canal surfaces. We evaluate our method in a user study with 20 participants, demonstrating that our input mapping framework reduces the workload and improves usability compared to a baseline mapping with similar motion encoding. To prepare for deployment in assistive scenarios, we built on the development from the accessible gaming community to select an accessible control interface. We then tested the system in an exploratory study, where three wheelchair users controlled the robot for both daily living activities and a creative painting task, demonstrating its feasibility for users closer to our target population.
Problem
Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.
2D to 6D operation conversion
assistive robotics
user-friendly control
Innovation
Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.
Shared Autonomy
2D to 6D Control Transformation
Assistive Robotics
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