GhostObjects: Instructing Robots by Manipulating Spatially Aligned Virtual Twins in Augmented Reality

Abstract

Robots are increasingly capable of autonomous operations, yet human interaction remains essential for issuing personalized instructions. Instead of directly controlling robots through Programming by Demonstration (PbD) or teleoperation, we propose giving instructions by interacting with GhostObjects-world-aligned, life-size virtual twins of physical objects-in augmented reality (AR). By direct manipulation of GhostObjects, users can precisely specify physical goals and spatial parameters, with features including real-world lasso selection of multiple objects and snapping back to default positions, enabling tasks beyond simple pick-and-place.