From Canada to Japan: How 10,000 km Affect User Perception in Robot Teleoperation

TL;DR

The paper investigates how long-distance robot teleoperation affects user perception, with an elderly-care focus, by deploying a cross-continental setup (Canada–Japan) using Kinova Gen3 and Kawada NEXTAGE Fillie controlled from Canada through a Unity ROS2/ZMQ-based interface. It employs RoSAS, SUS, NASA-TLX, and custom questionnaires to compare local versus remote operation in non-expert users. The main finding is a lack of significant perceptual or workload differences between local and remote conditions, supporting the viability of long-distance RTo, while highlighting perceptual, depth, and immersion-related areas for improvement. The work provides a reproducible protocol and architecture for cross-cultural and cross-platform RTo studies with potential healthcare applications and lays groundwork for future enhancements, including humanoid robots and bidirectional cultural analyses.

Abstract

Robot teleoperation (RTo) has emerged as a viable alternative to local control, particularly when human intervention is still necessary. This research aims to study the distance effect on user perception in RTo, exploring the potential of teleoperated robots for older adult care. We propose an evaluation of non-expert users' perception of long-distance RTo, examining how their perception changes before and after interaction, as well as comparing it to that of locally operated robots. We have designed a specific protocol consisting of multiple questionnaires, along with a dedicated software architecture using the Robotics Operating System (ROS) and Unity. The results revealed no statistically significant differences between the local and remote robot conditions, suggesting that robots may be a viable alternative to traditional local control.

Figures (8)

• Figure 1: The green dotted line symbolises the separation between Japan and Canada. The solid arrows represent data communication within the local network (LAN), while the dotted arrows indicate communication over the Internet, with the protocol denoted by the corresponding logo.
• Figure 2: The two robots used for the experiment, \ref{['fig:kinova']} was in Canada and \ref{['fig:fillie']} in Japan.
• Figure 3: The participant (P) was located in Canada, facing a monitor displaying video feeds from cameras 1 and 2, while camera 3 recorded the participant. A researcher (R2 & R3) was positioned near each robot (and visible on camera) to operate the emergency button, while another researcher (R1) was stationed close to the participant. Points A and B were approximately 40cm apart. The experiment was conducted using only Fillie’s right arm.
• Figure 4: Control screen with the four views, two for each robot
• Figure 5: Overview of the setups used in Canada (left) and Japan (right).