Evaluation of Work Performance, Task Load, and Behavior Changes on Time-Delayed Teleoperation Tasks in Space Construction

A robust teleoperation system has the potential to play a key role in mission tasks relevant to construction in a physically challenging environment. Here, the communication delay generated by long-distance and data transmission in teleoperation systems impacts human–robot interactions and work performances during the teleoperation. There is a need for more understanding of how time delay affects performance in construction activities and human operators' abilities, such as situational awareness and mental workload. This exploratory study aims to provide knowledge on the latency impacts on work performance and task load by measuring and evaluating the relevant human factors. Participants conduct construction tasks under time-delayed conditions in virtual reality environments. We assess the performance (i.e., completion time, success rate) and task load (i.e., mental demand, frustration) and observe manipulation behavior changes to evaluate the relationship between time delay and human factors during construction work. This paper contributes to exploring the signal latency by long-distance teleoperation and assesses its impacts on work performance, task load, and behavior changes while performing construction tasks.