ABSTRACT:

This paper proposes an augmented reality visualization interface to simultaneously present visual and laser sensors information further enhanced by stereoscopic viewing and 3-D graphics. The use of graphic elements is proposed to represent laser measurements that are aligned to video information in 3-D space. This methodology enables an operator to intuitively comprehend scene layout and proximity information and so to respond in an accurate and timely manner. The use of graphic elements to assist teleoperation, sometime discussed in the literature, is here proposed following an innovative approach that aligns virtual and real objects in 3-D space and color them suitably to facilitate comprehension of objects proximity during navigation. This paper is developed based on authors' previous experience on stereoscopic teleoperation. The approach is experimented on a real telerobotic system, where a user operates a mobile robot located several kilometers apart. The result showed simplicity and effectiveness of the proposed approach.