Human and Computer Control of Undersea Teleoperators

Abstract
This is a review of factors pertaining to man-machine interaction in remote control of undersea vehicles, especially their manipulators and sensors. Emphasis is placed on human operator control of such teleoperator systems as a function of degree of automation, sensor-control integration and task demands for underwater search, object recovery and manipulation. Models of operator- computer performance are considered, particularly with respect to human supervisory control of semiautonomous systems. Sections of the report discuss: teleoperated submersible vehicles or work platforms; undersea tasks and how they can be analyzed; relative roles of human and computer or other control elements; control hardware (sensors, communication, propulsion, manipulation, control station) and how it affects the human controller; control software for computer- aided manipulation, including a review of various languages and algorithms presently available; human operator performance in manipulator control (a review of what we now know); present and prospective theoretical models of supervisory control; and finally, the needs for research in this area.