Telepresence: Immersion with the iCub Humanoid Robot and the Oculus Rift

In this paper we present an architecture for the study of telepresence and human-robot interaction. The telepresence system uses the visual and gaze control systems of the iCub humanoid robot coupled with the Oculus Rift virtual reality system. The human is able to observe a remote location from the visual feedback displayed in the Oculus Rift. The exploration of the remote environment is achieved by controlling the eyes and head of the iCub humanoid robot with orientation information from human head movements. Our system was tested from various remote locations in a local network and through the internet, producing a smooth control of the robot. This provides a robust architecture for immersion of humans in a robotic system for remote observation and exploration of the environment.