IoT-Based User Interface for Remote Control of a Mobile Robot

Recent advancements in mobile robot research have resulted in the development of precise robot control tools, while information technology research has focused on the Internet of Things (IoT) in the context of the fourth industrial revolution. This study evaluates a user interface designed for remote control of the Crowbot BOLT robot. This robot utilizes the ESP32 board and is controlled through the M5Stack Core2 kit with a touch screen. The user interface offers two modes of operation: touch-based buttons for movement control and gyroscope control based on the M5Stack’s angular position. Communication between the robot and the user interface is established using the MQTT protocol through the ThingSpeak server, allowing control from any location with a line of sight and internet connectivity. Operation data is collected by recording control orders and measuring sending times, while user acceptance is evaluated using an IoT-based technology acceptance model. The results indicate the need for remote control response time improvement and reveal low scores in perceived usefulness and influence social. In conclusion, the study demonstrates the feasibility of remote control of a mobile robot using the MQTT protocol, providing valuable insights for similar applications and considering user recommendations for future enhancements and system expansion. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.