Workload, flow, and telepresence during teleoperation

Abstract

There is much speculation about the relationships among workload, flow, telepresence, and performance during teleoperation, but few data that provide evidence concerning them. This paper presents results of an investigation conducted during completion of a pipe cutting task using a teleoperator at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The results show support for the hypothesis that telepresence is related to expenditure of attentional resources, and some support for the hypothesis that telepresence is related to flow. The discussion examines the results from an attentional resources perspective on teleoperation.