A simple inexpensive interface for robots using the Nintendo Wii controller

To have a robot at home might be great fun: it could fetch and carry things. However it remains open how to teach the robot the places it should go to in a manner that is cheap and entertaining for the user. This paper presents an easy-to-use interface that takes the robot on a virtual leash: using the Nintendo Wii remote the user can go towards target places while pointing at the robot. Using the inbuilt infrared camera and accelerometers and a couple of LEDs on the robot, the robot will follow the user. We show how a particle filter and an interacting multiple model (IMM) Kalman can be configured such that simple hand gestures with the Wii make the robot follow the user´s intention. The concept has been implemented on a mobile robot developed within the robotshome project. The robot leash interface has been tested with 12 volunteers who are interested in new technology but have never controlled a robot. The result is that most users could within a few minutes show the robot the first three places in a home environment. Given the little cost of the interface (about $ 50) the proposed robot leash is a promising human robot interface.