  Caregivers in eldercare can benefit from telepresence robots that allow them
to perform a variety of tasks remotely. In order for such robots to be operated
effectively and efficiently by non-technical users, it is important to examine
if and how the robotic system's level of automation (LOA) impacts their
performance. The objective of this work was to develop suitable LOA modes for a
mobile robotic telepresence (MRP) system for eldercare and assess their
influence on users' performance, workload, awareness of the environment and
usability at two different levels of task complexity. For this purpose, two LOA
modes were implemented on the MRP platform: assisted teleoperation (low LOA
mode) and autonomous navigation (high LOA mode). The system was evaluated in a
user study with 20 participants, who, in the role of the caregiver, navigated
the robot through a home-like environment to perform control and perception
tasks. Results revealed that performance improved in the high LOA when task
complexity was low. However, when task complexity increased, lower LOA improved
performance. This opposite trend was also observed in the results for workload
and situation awareness. We discuss the results in terms of the LOAs' impact on
users' attitude towards automation and implications on usability.
