SwarmTouch: Tactile Interaction of Human with Impedance Controlled Swarm of Nano-Quadrotors

TL;DR

This paper introduces SwarmTouch, a novel human-swarm interaction method using impedance-controlled quadrotors and tactile feedback, enhancing intuitive control and immersion in swarm navigation.

Contribution

It presents a new tactile interaction strategy for human-swarm communication incorporating impedance control and vibrotactile feedback, validated through experiments with Crazyflie quadrotors.

Findings

High recognition rates for tactile patterns

Improved swarm controllability through tactile feedback

Enhanced human-swarm interaction experience

Abstract

We propose a novel interaction strategy for a human-swarm communication when a human operator guides a formation of quadrotors with impedance control and receives vibrotactile feedback. The presented approach takes into account the human hand velocity and changes the formation shape and dynamics accordingly using impedance interlinks simulated between quadrotors, which helps to achieve a life-like swarm behavior. Experimental results with Crazyflie 2.0 quadrotor platform validate the proposed control algorithm. The tactile patterns representing dynamics of the swarm (extension or contraction) are proposed. The user feels the state of the swarm at his fingertips and receives valuable information to improve the controllability of the complex life-like formation. The user study revealed the patterns with high recognition rates. Subjects stated that tactile sensation improves the ability to guide the drone formation and makes the human-swarm communication much more interactive. The proposed technology can potentially have a strong impact on the human-swarm interaction, providing a new level of intuitiveness and immersion into the swarm navigation.