Control of an underwater robot through a mixed-reality device

Abstract

Virtual-Reality, Augmented-Reality, and Mixed-Reality (MR) are technologies that are growing in popularity and becoming increasingly adopted by various industries. While the technologies are not entirely new, recent developments has made them much more accessible, fuelling interest in them. With a huge potential growth in the technology projected in the coming years, there are many untapped areas where the technology can be of benefit. One such area is the control of Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles (ROV) with a MR-based device. This paper describes a project where an implementation of a system where an ROV is controlled using a Microsoft HoloLens MR headset is developed. A communications link was established between the HoloLens and the ROV through the use of an intermediary computer where sensor data is streamed from the ROV to the HoloLens, and control inputs from the HoloLens is transmitted to the ROV. It is hoped that this project sets the groundwork for future implementations of MR-based ROV control.