The PhD thesis will be part of a large research project assembling nine teams of the
Saclay area called DIGISCOPE. For more, see digiscope.fr
Abstract
This PhD proposes to set up and evaluate a system of teleoperation and telepresence driven from a Virtual Reality setup, i.e. providing the operator with extended capacities of perception of the environment (3D video and sound, augmented data, etc.). The focus of the work will be to determine the contribution of a immersive multi-sensori-motor perception to the tasks of exploration, as well as to characterize the most adapted procedures to perform this type of task.
Context
The possibility of remotely controlling complex systems, possibly possessing some form of autonomy, finds many applications in today's world: teleoperation of robots, exploration of otherwise inaccessible sites, remote driving (e.g. for assistance of disabled people). One of the underestimated challenges in this area of research relates to the design of systems which take explicitly into account the constraints of this kind of application: in particular, which information must be transmitted between the operator and the distant system, so that on the one hand, perception is the most natural (the goal being to maximize the sensation of presence), and on the other hand, that the task is accomplished with the maximum of effectiveness. There is currently no consensus on the subject, despite many works on evaluating remote presence or building teleoperation systems.
Objectives
Develop a complete telepresence system
Explore new interaction concepts dedicated to telepresence
Evaluation of the system in the context of exploration tasks
Cognitive assessment of "presence at a distance" and "action at a distance"
Work program
See document attached.
Extra information
Prerequisite
background in computer graphics, robotics, signal or image processing, or human-computer interaction
good coding skills (C/C++)
ability to communicate and write in English
experience (internship) in Virtual Reality or 3D Computer Graphics would be an valuable asset.