Visual and Haptic Cues for Physical Human-Robot Interaction and Co-Manipulation
(Code u7526)

Nowadays, autonomous robots are capable of very precise motion. However, when physical interaction with humans and environment is also involved, the complexity of the addressed problems increases, requiring dedicated interaction strategies and appropriate perceived information. Specifically, in human-robot co-manipulation, combining high strength and repeatability of manipulators, with the cognitive ability and flexibility of human operators, is a decisive factor in multiple domains (e.g., human-robot object handover or collaborative transportation in industrial and service applications), involving active simultaneous handling of objects between the robot and the human partner.

In these scenarios, effective exploitation of visual and haptic sensing is essential on both sides (robot and human). On one hand, haptic stimuli, both natural and artificial, enable one to feel forces applied to a co-manipulated object, so as to retrieve the co-worker's motion intentions and react accordingly. On the other hand, visual feedback provides complementary information about objects, partner configuration, and state of the environment, thus being of paramount importance for safety, task precision, and planning.

Acknowledgements