Reducing Cognitive Load in Teleoperating Swarms of Robots through a Data-Driven Shared Control Approach

Multi-robot systems have gained increasing interest across various fields such as medicine, environmental monitoring, and more. Despite the evident advantages, the coordination of the swarm arises significant challenges for human operators, particularly concerning the cognitive burden needed for efficiently controlling the robots. In this study, we present a novel approach for enabling a human operator to effectively control the motion of multiple robots. Leveraging a shared control data-driven approach, we enable a single user to control the 9 degrees of freedom related to the pose and shape of a swarm. Our methodology was evaluated through an experimental campaign conducted in simulated 3D environments featuring a narrow cylindrical path, which could represent, e.g., blood vessels, industrial pipes. Subjective measures of cognitive load were assessed using a post-experiment questionnaire, comparing different levels of autonomy of the system. Results show substantial reductions in operator cognitive load when compared to conventional teleoperation techniques, accompanied by enhancements in task performance, including reduced completion times and fewer instances of contact with obstacles. This research underscores the efficacy of our approach in enhancing human-robot interaction and improving operational efficiency in multi-robot systems.