Robotic Arm - Manual Interface

Handout to Participants – Manual Interface

 

Introduction 

Thank you for agreeing to participate in our experiment. This experiment is about robotic arms and training for interacting with (semi)autonomous systems.

In this experiment, you will complete a training program consisting of classroom-style PowerPoints and hands-on control of a robotic arm. Following the training, there is a dedicated practice session, a checkride, and a test.

Now you are going to read a Consent form with details about the experiment procedure and sign at the end of the form if you agree with the process.

Click the following link for the consent form, and remember to submit the form at the end.

https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bkkQUNRGP5AfBPM

 

Internet speed test

We are going to test your internet speed to ensure our connection is good enough for the remote experiments. Please click the following link to open the speed testing website. After testing, please report the ping time (ms), download speed (Mbps), and upload speed (Mbps) to the experimenter. 

https://www.speedtest.net

 

Demographic Survey

You will fill a demographic survey so that we know more about our participants (you) in general. Click the following link for the demographic survey, and remember to submit the survey at the end.

https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_80KBsksPGPUhmRL

 

Training

Overview:

You are going to complete 3 modules for this training session. For all modules, you will complete classroom training and Modules 2 and 3 will include hands-on training, in which you get to teleoperate the robotic arm and practice what you learned from the earlier modules. The tutorials are designed self-paced, which means you can control your time. But spent times will be recorded.

If you do not have further questions, we will start with the PowerPoints.

 

Module 1: Introduction to the System

Please read the Module 1 tutorial at your own pace. (Click here for the tutorial. You must DOWNLOAD the Powerpoint to your computer and watch all the embedded videos to qualify to move further.)

Please let the experimenter know when you are done, and then you can ask questions if you have any.

 

Module 2: Control Interface and Obstacle Avoidance

Please read the Module 2 tutorial at your own pace. (Click here for the tutorial. You must DOWNLOAD the Powerpoint to your computer and watch all the embedded videos to qualify to move further.)

Please let the experimenter know when you are done, and then you can ask questions if you have any.

 

Hands-on practice task description for Module 2

There are 3 practice sessions here.

Practice 1:

Please do the practice explicitly following the steps. You will have 5 minutes in total for this practice. You can practice freely after completing the designed tasks until the time is up. After finishing reading this instruction, please let the experimenter know you are ready to practice.

Step 1: Click on the Start button.
Step 2: Switch the camera view twice.
Step 3: Move the robot left then right.
Step 4: Move the robot forward and then backward.
Step 5: Move the robot up and then down.
Step 6: Rotate the gripper clockwise and then anticlockwise.
Step 7: Switch the camera view and redo Steps 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Step 8: Close the gripper and then open it.
Step 9: Make the robot go back to its home position.
Step 10: Click on the Stop button.
Step 11: Now you can freely practice with the current setup, but please remember to click the Start button at the beginning and Stop at the end. After you are done, please let the experimenter know. You can ask questions if you have any.

Environment for practice 1:

setup for practice 1

 

Practice 2:

Please pick the object and place it into the container. Please remember to click the Start Button at the beginning and the Stop button at the end.

If you have any questions before or after the practice, please ask the experimenter.

You will have 5 minutes in total for this practice. You can practice freely after completing the designed tasks until the time is up. After finishing reading this instruction, please let the experimenter know you are ready to practice.

Environment for practice 2:

setup for practice 2

 

Practice 3:

You need to grasp the object while avoiding the wall, and then return to the home position with the object in hand. Please remember to click the Start Button at the beginning and the Stop button at the end.

If you have any questions before or after the practice, please ask the experimenter. You will have 6 minutes in total for this practice. You can practice freely after completing the designed tasks until the time is up. After finishing reading this instruction, please let the experimenter know you are ready to practice.

Environment for practice 3:

setup for practice 3

 

 

Module 3: Tutorial Review

Now, please review the tutorials in Module 1 and 2. If you have any questions, please ask the experimenter.

Please let the experimenter know when you are done.

 

Full practice – Task description

For the practice task, your goal is to pick up the blue cube (in front of the Pringles) and place it into the container; then pick up the green cube (in front of the container) and place it on the top of the Pringles box. The order can be switched.

Please remember to click the Start Button at the beginning and the Stop button at the end. If you have any questions before or after the practice, please ask the experimenter.

You have 10 minutes for this practice. You can practice freely after completing the designed tasks until the time is up. After finishing the designed task, you can freely practice until you use up the time.

After finishing reading this instruction, please let the experimenter know you are ready to practice.

Environment for full practice:

setup for full practice

 

 

Check-Ride – Task description

We will now begin the check-ride. This phase is designed to examine your integrated robot-operating skills that you learned during the 3-module training phases.

For this check-ride, your goal is to move the top cube from the 4-cube stack into the container without knocking down anything, that includes the can, the wall, and the stack of cubes. If you knock down anything, you fail this check-ride.

You will have one chance to succeed in this check-ride. Failure of passing the checkride will end your experiment.

Please remember to click the Start Button at the beginning and the Stop button at the end. If you have any questions before or after the practice, please ask the experimenter.

After finishing reading this instruction, please let the experimenter know you are ready for the check-ride.

Environment for check-ride:

setup for checkride

 

Pre-testing survey

Congratulations on completing the check-ride. Here is a pre-test survey for you to fill out before our final test.

Click the following link for the consent form, and remember to submit the form at the end.

https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0MmbmyX6jFlZKOG

Please let the experimenter know when you finish it.

 

Test Session

This is the final phase of the experiment. There are 2 tests in this session.

You will have one chance to succeed in each test.

Test 1

For this test task, your goal is to move away from the green cube (the first cube) (pick it and place it somewhere on the right that does not affect your further operations), put the blue cube (the second cube) into the white plastic container, and place the orange cube (the third cube) on top of the Pringles can. Be careful not to knock down either the wall, the container, the box, or the stack of cubes.

Please remember to click the Start Button at the beginning and the Stop button at the end. If you have any questions before or after the test, please ask the experimenter.

After finishing reading this instruction, please let the experimenter know you are ready for the test 1.

Environment for test 1:

setup for  test 1

 

Test 2

For this test task, your goal is to put the blue cube (the first cube) into the white plastic container, place the brown cube (the second cube) on top of the Pringles can, and make a stack by placing the orange cube (on Pringles now) on the green cube (the third cube). Be careful not to knock down either the wall, the container, the box, or the stack of cubes.

Please remember to click the Start Button at the beginning and the Stop button at the end. If you have any questions before or after the test, please ask the experimenter.

After finishing reading this instruction, please let the experimenter know you are ready for the test 2.

 

Environment for test 2:

setup for test 2

 

Post-experiment survey

Here is a post-test survey for you to fill out. Click the following link for the post-experiment survey, and remember to submit the form at the end.

https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cZMHICwRARixHi6

Please let the experimenter know when you finish it.

 

Debrief

You are now done with the experiment.

In this experiment, we tested how you learned to use a control interface for robot control. The results will help us get a better understanding of how to design the control interface and training programs for robots and other autonomous systems.  

At the end of this study, if your performance is the best among your group we will contact you and give you a $100 Amazon gift certificate. 

Now, feel free to ask the experimenter any questions you may have about the experiment before we finish.