Human Pointing Navigation Interface for Mobile Robot with Spherical Vision System

Abstract

Human-robot interaction requires intuitive interface that is not possible using devices, such as, the joystick or teaching pendant, which also require some trainings. Instruction by gesture is one example of an intuitive interfaces requiring no training, and pointing is one of the simplest gestures. We propose simple pointing recognition for a mobile robot having an upwarddirected camera system. The robot using this recognizes pointing and navigates through simple visual feedback control to where the user points. This paper explores the feasibility and utility of our proposal as shown by the results of a questionnaire on proposed and conventional interfaces.