Diver‐Robot Communication Using Wearable Sensing: Remote Pool Experiments

Abstract

Abstract Diver‐robot interaction is an exciting and recent field of study. There are different ways a diver and robot can interact, such as using tablets or detecting divers with cameras or sonars. A novel approach presented in this paper uses direct diver‐robot communication. To facilitate communication for humans, we use typical diver gestures, which are transmitted to a robot using a wearable glove and acoustic communications. Following previous work by the University of Zagreb and the University of Auckland, a collaboration to control an autonomous underwater vehicle based on a wearable diver glove has been made possible through the EU Marine Robots project. Under this project, Trans-National Access trials allow Laboratory for Underwater Systems and Technologies, University of Zagreb, to offer its robots and infrastructure to external partners. Initial trials with the University of Auckland, which were planned to take place on site, were transformed into remote access trials. This paper reports on these challenging trials and collaboration given the distance and time zone difference. The key point is to demonstrate the possibility of having a diver remotely controlling a robot using typical gestures recognized by a wearable glove and transmitted via acoustic modems (and the Internet for the remote connection).