An Immersive Telepresence System with User and Automatic Motion Control

Telepresence systems have been conceived for a variety of applications and in different paradigms, offering different degrees of immersion for users in remote environments. This paper shows the design and experimental investigation of an immersive telepresence platform relying on a motorized robot with stereo audio and stereo video recording capabilities. Audio-visual data transmitted to a user in a different location is displayed to isolate the eyes and ears from the surroundings and provide three-dimensional perceptions that may trigger reactions and head motions. These motions are transmitted to the robot side and replicated, or the robotic platform reacts automatically to the audio-visual stimuli and moves without user head motion. Such an approach improves the perceptual experience and reduces the hassle of controlling the robot's motion. The system is customizable, easy to use and mount and can be used in different applications. The platform being used is programmable, inexpensive, and accommodating for educational, medical, and collaborative applications.