Human Robot Interaction: Applications, Challenges and Future Directions

Abstract

Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) has grown over the years and is now used in a wide range of contexts including medicine, manufacturing, physical therapy, customer care, agriculture, and education. HRI is utilized in many workplace settings that entail co-manipulating tasks as well as picking and placing operations in production lines, welding processes, painting and parts assembly. It is also used in assistive robotics for people with physical and cognitive impairments. This study explores HRI as applied across different fields such as industry, health care, rehabilitating agricultures, service and education. The paper analyzes several types of HRI including geographically or temporally separated interactions, distant ones or those that are social in nature. Finally the research shows the advantages of HRI on productivity increase in quality enhancement competitiveness increase and improved working conditions. Lastly, this research delves into a number of challenges along with future prospects regarding issues such as safety precautions required while engaging in HRI activities; acceptable social behavior; distribution of work among others; there are other possible downsides to some of these emerging technologies on general well-being as well. To ensure safe and effective human robot systems more human factors investigations must be conducted in this area.