Exploratory study on time-delayed excavator teleoperation in virtual lunar construction simulation: Task performance and operator behavior

Building sustainable habitats on the moon has been planned for decades. However, applying fully automated construction systems is still challenging in altered environments. Teleoperation, which is the remote control of the machine, can serve as an intermediate phase before achieving fully autonomous systems. Since the teleoperation between operators on the earth-ground and robots on the lunar surface introduces inevitable communication time delays under a deep space network system, it is important to understand its impact on task performance and operator behaviors in teleoperated construction tasks. This paper develops a simulated lunar environment for excavator teleoperation systems in virtual reality to examine task performance and operator behaviors in time delay conditions. The outcomes indicate that time delays significantly degrade task performance, and the operators modify their control strategies to cope with the time delay conditions. The findings will contribute to understanding human behaviors in time-delayed teleoperation of lunar construction tasks. •Effects of different time delays on task performance and behavior changes of teleoperators for space construction.•A simulation model of space teleoperation systems with a focus on lunar excavation.•Human factors studies on task performance, control factors, and telepresence in time-delay conditions.•Inform intuitive and responsive teleoperation system designs for space construction missions.