Teleoperation provides an innovative approach for completing tasks in environments where humans cannot be physically present, such as hazardous or difficult-to-reach areas. Augmented Reality (AR) enhances this process by overlaying critical information directly into the user’s field of view, streamlining task execution and spatial awareness. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of recent trends in both teleoperation and AR, highlighting their integration to improve remote human-machine interaction. We analyze advancements in both technologies, identify practical applications, and offer insights into their convergence in fields such as aerospace, medical robotics, and industrial automation. By examining academic publications and statistical trends from major databases, we project the future trajectory of AR-teleoperation and discuss potential challenges in implementing these systems, particularly regarding latency, cognitive overload, and security. This survey aims to provide a detailed analysis of the state of the art and offers insights for future research in this rapidly evolving field.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for effective disinfection strategies in order to minimize human exposure and reduce the risk of contagion in indoor environments. Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation has proven to be an effective solution for inactivating a wide range of pathogens. However, traditional fixed UV-C systems suffer from limited coverage and lack operational flexibility. To address these limitations, this paper proposes an augmented reality (AR)-based teleoperation framework for an omnidirectional mobile robot equipped with a UV-C disinfection light. Unlike traditional toolchain integrations, our framework synergizes immersive spatial visualization of a reconstructed environment, operator-guided waypoint-based remote navigation, and real-time interaction with the disinfection payload in a single operational workflow. The system is implemented using a ROSMASTER X3 Plus robotic platform, which generates a three-dimensional representation of the environment through visual simultaneous localization and mapping using RTAB-Map. The result is a 3D map that is imported into the Unity game engine and deployed to a Meta Quest 3 head-mounted display, enabling immersive visualization and interaction. Communication between the AR interface and the robotic system is achieved via the ROS-TCP-Connection, allowing real-time data exchange and remote robot control. Through the AR interface, the operator can navigate the robot within the scanned environment and activate the UV-C light. Experimental validation conducted in a classroom demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed approach and shows measurable reductions in surface microbial load. These results indicate that our system-level integration of AR-assisted teleoperation with mobile UV-C robotics represents a feasible proof-of-concept for flexible, operator-guided disinfection of indoor spaces.