Control interface for teleoperated construction inspection robot
Publicerad
Författare
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Modellbyggare
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Sammanfattning
This project was conducted to investigate the area of teleoperated robotic inspections at construction
sites, as well as to design a prototype of the inspection robot’s control interface with a focus on
usability. The interface, a web based application, allows the user to access and control the driving, tool
usage and various other features of the robot remotely.
The investigation into the area was conducted through two primary studies - one user study consisting
of interviews with construction experts and one literature study focusing on relevant subareas of
research. The data from these studies was analyzed using a modified thematic analysis approach,
which yielded a number of themes and findings that formed the basis of the following design work.
Throughout the design phase, concepts were evaluated using both Unity and Figma based prototypes
by implementing these into usability tests aimed at identifying problems and opportunities for
improvements.
From the research phase, a number of interesting findings were identified. Aspects such as the chaotic
nature of construction sites, allocation of user attention and situation awareness proved especially
challenging in ensuring satisfactory use of the interface. Additionally, enabling the entire spectrum of
construction inspections, both from very general to specific ones, dictated much of the design work.
The users also placed emphasis on certain overarching principles being adhered to, such as efficiency
and safety. Through a set of iterations, a final design proposal was created, covering the primary use
cases of the robot. The focus was on separating the advanced features from the basic ones, enhancing
the explicitness of the controls and minimizing the operators’ cognitive workload.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Teleoperation, construction, inspection, robotics, interface, usability