  Robotic systems that can dynamically combine manipulation and locomotion
could facilitate dangerous or physically demanding labor. For instance,
firefighter humanoid robots could leverage their body by leaning against
collapsed building rubble to push it aside. Here we introduce a teleoperation
system that targets the realization of these tasks using human whole-body motor
skills. We describe a new wheeled humanoid platform, SATYRR, and a novel
hands-free teleoperation architecture using a whole-body Human Machine
Interface (HMI). This system enables telelocomotion of the humanoid robot using
the operator body motion, freeing their arms for manipulation tasks. In this
study we evaluate the efficacy of the proposed system on hardware, and explore
the control of SATYRR using two teleoperation mappings that map the operators
body pitch and twist to the robot velocity or acceleration. Through experiments
and user feedback we showcase our preliminary findings of the pilot-system
response. Results suggest that the HMI is capable of effectively telelocomoting
SATYRR, that pilot preferences should dictate the appropriate motion mapping
and gains, and finally that the pilot can better learn to control the system
over time. This study represents a fundamental step towards the realization of
combined manipulation and locomotion via teleoperation.
