Audio system requirements for remote operation of unmanned ground systems

Remotely controlled robotic ground vehicles can perform a variety of tasks where a human presence is undesired or dangerous. These unmanned vehicles are capable of assisting in explosive ordinance disposal, search and rescue operations, as well as other tasks in hazardous environments. Due to the often volatile nature of such scenarios, a more comprehensive understanding of the acoustic environment is often desirable or required by a remote operator to aid in critical work. This presentation summarizes the limitations of selected current architectures of acoustic sensors in unmanned ground vehicles. The presentation also reviews the potential benefits to operator immersion in the acoustic environment by using two-channel audio in tandem with the remote video camera feed to more accurately recreate sound directionality.