Some researchers over at the University of Massachusetts recently came up with an interesting method of controlling robots. Using Microsoft Robotics Developers Studio and the Microsoft Surface, they managed to develop a search and rescue robot that is controlled by the DREAM Controller. What’s special about the DREAM Controller is that it resembles a video game controller that’s intuitive, functional and easy to use. Users control the joystick to direct the robot to look, while the right joystick tells the robot where to move.Using this method to control the robot proved to be intuitive and easy to pick up. In fact, it was so easy that they tested it on a 60-year old person who figured out how to control the robot immediately. This meant that the robots would be easily controllable. Using this technology they’ve managed to improve the natural user interface when it comes to controlling search and rescue robots.
Using the DREAM Controller, anybody can maneuver a robot for search and rescue missions, which is almost always safer than sending in humans to do a job. Check out a video demonstration of this system in action:
Filed in . Read more about Microsoft, Microsoft Surface and Robots.