Abstract
This project develops an immersive virtual reality (VR) system for controlling and coordinating multiple mobile robots. Using a Meta Quest 2 headset, the user interacts with a fleet of Raspberry Pi-based mobile robots, specifically a Raspberry Pi 5 based Leader and Raspberry Pi 4 based Followers. The system implements a decentralized leader–follower configuration where the Leader broadcasts its position, allowing Followers to autonomously calculate and maintain a triangle formation using onboard logic. A Hybrid Control mechanism enables the operator to dynamically toggle a specific Follower between autonomous formation-keeping and direct manual control using a dedicated VR controller. Video feed streams are transmitted via Wi-Fi while leveraging software encoding on the Leader and hardware acceleration on Followers mobile robots to ensure low-latency, real-time visual feedback. The result is a scalable, consumer-grade VR platform that effectively balances the intuitive immersion of direct control with the cognitive efficiency of semi-autonomous formation coordination.