Research on “Third Arm”: voluntarily operative wearable robot arm

- Head Bobbing-type depth indication IF for spatial localization in extended body-

Abstract

This study aims at multi-tasking support using a wearable robot arm “third arm” for daily chores execution. In everyday life, when performing actions such as opening an umbrella or stirring a pot, it becomes necessary to define a target space or point.Additionally, with wearable robotics, the operator must be able to communicate such localized instruction to the robotic limb independently of his/her own actions and without interrupting them. This research proposes an interface for polar coordinate spatial localization indication based on combining head direction and head back-and-forth movement, "Head Bobbing", to establish and point to the intended target. Using VR space, this method was evaluated by considering ease of use during simultaneous task execution, and impact on performance accuracy of the operator on his independent task.