Researchers Say Stress “Sweet Spot” Can Improve Remote Operators' Performance

Military drone pilots, disaster search and rescue teams, and astronauts stationed on the International Space Station are often required to remotely control robots while maintaining their concentration for hours at a time.

Georgia Tech roboticists are attempting to identify the most stressful periods that human teleoperators experience while performing tasks remotely. A novel study provides new insights into determining when a teleoperator needs to operate at a high level of focus and which parts of the task can be delegated to robot automation.