This chapter has reported the design and development of a real-time human-computer interface to enable a human operator to more effectively utilise the large volume of quantitative data (navigation, scientific and vehicle status data) generated in real time by the sensor suites of underwater robotic vehicles. The system provides an interactive 3D graphical interface that displays, under user control, quantitative spatial and temporal sensor data presently available to pilots and users only as alpha-numerical and 2D displays. The system has been experimentally evaluated based upon a comparison to a ground truth laser scan. The comparison of the accuracy of real-time system to a laser scan has shown a standard deviation of 0.0469 and absolute mean of 0.0041 m. This demonstrates that the system accurately displays data within the capabilities of the sensors. Our experience has shown that it provides improved 3D spatial awareness to the user. Although it is difficult to depict in static images, the real-time spatially accurate display of survey bathymetric and vehicle trajectory data provide the user with an instant comprehension of the progress of the survey, the completeness of the bathy metric sonar coverage, and the quality of the data. The system has been tested on the Woods Hole Oceanographic Jason 2 ROV. These data have shown the feasibility of using the system with at sea oceanographic survey operations.

Inspec keywords: mobile robots; data visualisation; remotely operated vehicles; human-robot interaction; human computer interaction; control engineering computing; underwater vehicles; graphical user interfaces

Other keywords: sea oceanographic survey operations; laser scan; underwater robotic exploration; underwater robotic vehicles; real-time spatio-temporal 3D data visualisation; 2D displays; sensor suites; real-time human-computer interface; temporal sensor data; Woods Hole Oceanographic Jason 2 ROV; user control; interactive 3D graphical interface; quantitative spatial data

Subjects: Marine system control