Use of an automated guided vehicle as a telepresence system with measurement support

This paper proposes an AGV-based telepresence platform for scientific research purposes. The black box nature of many commercially available telepresence systems makes it difficult for researchers to gather unfiltered and reliable data about the behavior and impressions in telepresence operations. The proposed system aims to close this gap by using a fully accessible architecture using a self-developed, fully self-sufficient AGV, which is equipped with two independent sensor systems for self-localization alongside a 360° camera for a natural use of the telepresence system. The accessibility of different movement features ensures the possibility to tailor the setup to different research questions by restricting the user’s access to any given feature. At the same time, access to all raw and filtered sensor data guarantees the reliability and quality of the acquired data at any given time of the experiment. During the entire time of use, the AGV creates a digital twin of itself, its behavior and its surroundings to allow the user precise comparisons between the expected scenario and the real situation. Due to the modular approach of the platform, both from the physical and software architecture, the proposed design can be further extended to tackle questions outside of its current scope, like providing additional information to the recipient of the system or possible on site interactions with it.