Development of Mutual Telexistence System using Virtual Projection of Operator's Egocentric Body Images

In this paper, a mobile telexistence system that provides mutual embodiment of user’s body in a remote place is discussed here. In this system, a fully mobile slave robot was designed and developed to deliver visual and motion mapping with user’s head and body. The user can access the robot remotely using a Head Mounted Display (HMD) and set of head trackers. This system addresses three main points that are as follows: User’s body representation in a remote physical environment, preserving body ownership toward the user during teleoperation, and presenting user’s body interactions and visuals into the remote side. These previous three points were addressed using virtual projection of user’s body into the egocentric local view, and projecting body visuals remotely. This system is intended to be used for teleconferencing and remote social activities when no physical manipulation is required.