Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41019670›Full record

ArticleVirtual reality2025

From "skype on wheels" to embodied telepresence: a holistic approach to improving the user experience of telepresence robots.

Ivan A Aguilar, Markku Suomalainen, Steven M LaValle, Timo Ojala, Bernhard E Riecke

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Virtual reality, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Ivan A AguilarSimon Fraser University, Surrey, British Columbia Canada.
Markku SuomalainenVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Oulu, Finland.
Steven M LaValleUniversity of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Timo OjalaUniversity of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Bernhard E RieckeSimon Fraser University, Surrey, British Columbia Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Telepresence robots offer the promise of remote presence, but user experience, usability, and performance challenges hinder widespread adoption. This study introduces a novel and low-cost user interface for telepresence robots that integrates insights from virtual reality (VR) and robotics to address these limitations. The novel setup was designed holistically, considering several different factors: an inclined rotating chair for embodied rotation, a joystick for precise translation, dual displays for enhanced spatial awareness, and an immersive setup with controlled lighting and audio. A user study (N = 42) with a simulated robot in a virtual environment compared this novel setup with a standard setup, that mimicked the typical user interface of commercial telepresence robots. Results showed that this novel setup significantly improved the user experience, particularly increasing presence, enjoyment, and engagement. This novel setup also improved task performance over time, reducing obstacle collisions and distance traveled. These findings highlight the potential for combining and incorporating insights from VR and robotics to design more effective and user-friendly interfaces for telepresence robots, paving the way for increased adoption. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10055-025-01222-0.

Indexed as

Empirical user studyNavigationSpatial presenceTelepresence robotUser interfaceVirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID41019670
PMCPMC12464061

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.