Before a rescue team enters to save the people who encountered the damage in a disaster and the terrorism spot safely, the robot searches for a safe course for the rescue team, dangerous equipment and the victim. In such situation, it loses a unit power that member alone is cut only for the robot operation, and it is a problem on work efficiency. Therefore we studied on a method using hand signals to steer a robot only with one hand so that one member could perform the robot operation and other work in parallel. In this study, we invented five sets of hand signals pattern to operate a robot by it. Then we made 20 subjects operate a robot on virtual rough terrain by using the invented five sets of hand signals pattern. From this experiment, we analyzed error of their track data and got one set of the useful hand signals pattern for the robot operation. Next, in order to confirm the usefulness of the operation system using the hand signals pattern we got, we performed some operation experiments to compare our operation system with an operation by a steering wheel. In this operation experiment, we made 20 subjects operate a robot along two kinds of ideal path as test course. And we confirmed the usefulness of our operation system by analyzing error of their track data got from those experiments.

Theoretically, the minimum essential lateral force (hereafter called level-difference clearing force) required for a wheel to clear a level difference is decreased by moving the axle position forward and upward relative to the center of rotation of the wheel. In this work, we manufactured a wheel device characterized by such an eccentric axle position and studied its level-difference clearing performance. On the basis of the relationship between the lateral force and the elapsed time while clearing the level difference, the lateral force acting on a common wheel with the axle positioned at the center of rotation increased and reached a maximum just after the wheel encountered the level difference. However, for the proposed wheel device, the rate of increase in the lateral force decreased because the inner ring rotated backward while clearing the level difference. For a 40mm level difference, and movable loads of 12.7N, 7.84N, and 2.94N, compared with the common wheel, the proposed wheel device decreased the level-difference clearing force by approximately 24%, 24%, and 19%, respectively.