Flying Head: A Head Motion Synchronization Mechanism for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Control
Channel: keihigumovie
Date: 2013-02-19

Flying Head is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control mechanism, which synchronizes human head and robot motions. Previous telepresence research has centered on the use of robots that move along the ground using wheels or legs. Recently, telepresence research has expanded to include the use of remote flying robots. The accurate manipulation of such robots, is difficult, as their control typically involves hand-operated devices such as proportional R/C systems or joysticks. Using the Flying Head system, we can incorporate a robot control using human motions such as walking, looking around and crouching. Our system synchronizes the operator and UAV positions in terms of the horizontal and vertical positions and the yaw orientation. The operator can use the UAV more intuitively, as such manipulations are more in accord with kinesthetic imagery. The results of a user study shows that this method makes controlling the robot easier than with a joystick. In this paper, we also discuss flying telepresence applications such as capturing platforms, teleoperation, and sports training.