Human-robot System Research Articles

Measurement of Human Hand Impedance in Dual Arm Configurations

Dynamic characteristics of a human extremity are usually expressed using the mechanical impedance. This paper examines hand impedance in dual arm movements while posture was maintained in dual-arm configurations. The results of experiments show that the orientation of viscosity ellipses roughly agrees with the human sagittal axis, tending to be oriented similar to stiffness ellipses. Viscosity and stiffness amplitude and orientation exceed those of single arm. Our results will be used in human-robot cooperation systems and in analyzing human movements.

Mechanical strain on the human skull in a humanoid robotic model

Patterns of strain were analyzed in a dry human skull at 15 different regions on the lateral and medial surfaces of the mandible. The strains were induced with a human robotic system that represented each of 8 bilateral muscles by a DC servomotor connected to a wire and pulley. The tractions of the simulated muscles (masseter, medial pterygoid, anterior temporalis, and posterior temporalis) were increased from 1× to 4× with each representing different levels of traction or force (5, 3, 4, and 4 N, respectively). The study was done with the teeth in maximum intercuspal occlusion. Bite forces were also measured with a transducer and reached a maximum of 40 N on the posterior teeth with less force on the anterior dentition. The smallest traction level (1×) developed some small strains. At 2×, compressive strains developed more on the medial (lingual) side beneath the molars through the corpus and radiated into the anterior ramus. Strains at 3× to 4× significantly increased both the tensile and compressive strains throughout the mandible with more strains developing in the ramus. The increased bilateral traction and loading developed significant compressive forces on both sides of the mandible. Evaluation of disparities between compressive and tensile strains at one site, and comparison between the medial and lateral sides of strain, suggested some visible distortion of portions of the mandible under the higher loads.

Activities of the rescue robots at the World Trade Center from 11-21 september 2001

On September 11, 2001, the Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR) responded within six hours to the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster; this is the first known use of robots for urban search and rescue (USAR). The University of South Florida (USF) was one of the four robot teams, and the only academic institution represented. The USF team participated onsite in the search efforts from 12-21 September 2001, collecting and archiving data on the use of all robots, in addition to actively fielding robots. This article provides an overview of the use of robots for USAR, concentrating on what robots were actually used and why. It describes the roles that the robots played in the response and the impact of the physical environment on the platforms. The quantitative and qualitative performance of the robots are summarized in terms of their components (mobility, sensors, control, communications, and power) and within the larger human-robot system. Lessons learned are offered and a synopsis of the current state of rescue robotics and activities at the CRASAR concludes the article.

Human Factors Engineering for Space Exploration Missions

NASA now has a focused mission for space exploration. We will continue to use ground based analogs and simulators, the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station as research and development platforms, but the challenges of time, distance and very hostile environments raise the challenges to human factors engineering designers to an even greater level. We will have a new generation of vehicles, equipment, habitats and space suits; operations and activity management will present novel scheduling, training and task allocation opportunities. The safety stakes will also be higher and the cold euphemisms of risk management will require some humanization, both for the crew and the public. Space vehicle launch, docking, navigation and landing will require complex interactions between automation and human operators. Commanders and pilots will require considerable simulator training and will be expected to perform flawlessly despite the debilitating exposure to extended time in space. Physical tasks on planetary surfaces will require protective suits that allow explorers to function effectively without the risk of excessive fatigue. Deviations from our familiar 24 hour day night cycle will demand innovative countermeasures if crew members are not to succumb to performance decrements due to cumulative sleep deprivation. Operation of complex life support, transportation, emergency response and scientific systems will require the development of effective and efficient job aids and procedures. Planetary surface habitats will be designed with the life support systems and home comforts necessary for long duration tenure. Finally, the safety of the human crew will be paramount and will require robust hybrid human-robotic systems, activity schedules and operations management. The NASA space human factors community is addressing these challenges by observing the performance of crew members in analogs, simulators and real missions and supporting this activity by basic and applied research in NASA laboratories and in collaboration with external scientists. The presentations in this panel will describe some of the current efforts to support this focused NASA exploration mission.

1P1-3F-C8 人間-ロボット協調作業系におけるインピーダンス制御システムの安定性の解析 : 人間の反応時間の遅れおよびロボットのコンプライアンスを考慮した解析方法の提案

インピーダンス制御では接触条件によってシステムが不安定になることが知られている。そこで, 人間の反応時間の遅れ, および, ロボットのコンプライアンスを考慮した協調作業系におけるシステムの安定性の解析方法を提案する。

Operating Feeling Based Design in Human-robot Collaborative Control Systems

The object of this paper is to give a g guide for designing the human-robot collaborative control system attaching importance to maneuverability of the operator. The operative ""feel"" is quantitatively evaluated using the norm of input-output signal obtained from the sensors during operation. As an example of the human-robot collaborative system, the subjective operative ""feel"" of the operator is qualitatively analyzed during the sine wave following task using 1-link operation arm. In addition, the control performance of the operator is examined from the viewpoint of H∞ control using the measurement data during the collaborative operation. As a result, it was suggested that the operator executes the given task while adequately reforming the sensitivity function and complementary sensitivity function of the closed loop system of the collaborative system. Use of this method enables design of the control system taking into consideration the operative ""feel"" of maneuverability.

Simulating activities: Relating motives, deliberation, and attentive coordination

Activities are located behaviors, taking time, conceived as socially meaningful, and usually involving interaction with tools and the environment. In modeling human cognition as a form of problem solving (goal-directed search and operator sequencing), cognitive science researchers have not adequately studied ‘off-task’ activities (e.g. waiting), non-intellectual motives (e.g. hunger), sustaining a goal state (e.g. playful interaction), and coupled perceptual–motor dynamics (e.g. following someone). These aspects of human behavior have been considered in bits and pieces in past research, identified as scripts, human factors, behavior settings, ensemble, flow experience, and situated action. More broadly, activity theory provides a comprehensive framework relating motives, goals, and operations. This paper ties these ideas together, using examples from work life in a Canadian High Arctic research station. The emphasis is on simulating human behavior as it naturally occurs, such that ‘working’ is understood as an aspect of living. The result is a synthesis of previously unrelated analytic perspectives and a broader appreciation of the nature of human cognition. Simulating activities in this comprehensive way is useful for understanding work practice, promoting learning, and designing better tools, including human–robot systems.

ロボットインピーダンスに対する人間の知覚能力の解析

In this paper, human perception ability for robot impedance is analyzed. First, a human-robot system is con-structed using impedance control, where a subject can move the robot freely by his end-point, and two kinds of experiments are performed: single impedance perception and single impedance discrimination. Then, from the experimental results, the accuracy and the differential limen are discussed. Also, it is shown that the human perception ability decreases dramatically under some situations such as multiple impeadace perception and large robot viscosity. The results of the present paper could be effective as basic data in presenting the robot impedance to human operators in the rehabilitation system and human-robot systems.

Supervised Autonomy: A Framework for Human-Robot Systems Development

In this paper we present a paradigm for robot control, i>Supervised Autonomy. Supervised Autonomy is a framework, which facilitates the development of human robot systems. The components which this framework embraces has been devised in a human-oriented manner, to augment users in accomplishing their task. The general concept of our paradigm is to incorporate supervisory control with a qualitative approach for the control of robots. Supervisory control does not rely on human users to perform all the basic functions of perception and action in a system. The approach we have taken shifts all basic autonomous functions to the physical robot agent, integrated with a set of qualitative instructions, in combination with a simple graphical user interface, and together with suitable feedback form the complete framework. Experimental results of applying this framework to the use of a mobile robot teleoperation system are presented. The system we have developed make extensive use of behavior-based control technology, embracing a number of real-time visual behaviours, together with a set of intuitive instructions designed for the navigation of a mobile robot.

Robots for Bioproduction Systems

It is no doubt that automation including robotics is essential for high productive and efficient bioproduction systems. Since the study of a tomato harvesting robot was started 16 years ago in Japan, robotic technologies have been applied to many bioproduction systems in the world such as harvesting, transplanting, grafting, weeding, spraying, milking, tilling, fertilizing, and so on. Some of them were already commercialized. Recently, furthermore, studies related to man-machine interface started. In this paper, robots for seedling production, harvesting, furthermore, human cooperative robot system are described.

ニューラルネットを利用した人間‐ロボット系の適応型訓練法

Recently, the needs of robot systems for human support such as a master-slave manipulator, a teleoperation robot and a power assist robot have been increasing. In such human-robot systems, a human operator has an initiative in executing a task, while a robot assists him or her. Therefore, the importance of a training system to improve operator's skill in controlling the robot should be recognized from a point of view of safety, since a control error of a human operator might cause a serious accident. In this paper, a new training system for human-robot systems is proposed, in which a neural network (NN) is used in order to identify the dynamic properties of the system and give an assist to the operator. The identification model used in the proposed system consists of the NN and a reference model which represents a control property of the skilled operator. This paper explains a working principle of the training method and shows the validity of the proposed method through experiments of robot control by novice operators.

Sensor fusion for human-robot skill transfer systems

This paper describes how to design a data fusion module in a skill transfer system. The data fusion paradigm is addressed. It consists of two independent modules for optimal fusion and filtering. A new interpretation of the Kalman filter equations is done, to achieve a 'model-free' equation capable of following arbitrary variables. An engineering approach is used to tune the parameters of interest for a certain task. The fusion algorithm presented here is global and can easily be extended to any arbitrary system. It was successfully tested in a human-robot skill transfer of the peg-in-hole task at the DLR.

人間‐ロボット系の追従制御特性

人間‐ロボット系の追従制御特性

Human–robot interaction in an aircraft wing drilling system

This work examines a robot drilling system in the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation of Taiwan. Work procedures, human errors and robot failures are also assessed. Based on those assessments, countermeasures and feasible recommendations are proposed to enhance the hybrid system's safety and performance. In addition, some of the recommendations are applied toward the system studied herein, along with the implementation results presented as well. Relevance to industry Industrial robot safety and performance can be advanced through the collaborative efforts of ergonomists and practitioners investigating the work environment and the interaction between humans and robots. based on their observation, sound recommendations regarding human factor-related issues can be made. Therefore, this survey provides a valuable reference for human–robot system designers and practitioners.

A method for sonar based recognition of walking people

In this paper we investigate the problem of recognising a person based on the rhythmic features of human walking. The perceptual task is performed using in-air sonar sensors. A linear array sensing head with limited complexity is developed to achieve the stated goal; the method of sensory information processing implemented in the device is a blend of grid based mapping and wavelet based multiresolution analysis. Grid based mapping allows to perform detection and tracking of a moving object at the highest signal-to-noise ratios; wavelet based multiresolution analysis allows us to detect the features that are peculiar to walking people in the range measurement sequence extracted from a single sonar sensor of the sensing head. Experimental tests on a number of moving objects with highly time-varying target strengths are carried out; the results prove the feasibility of the approach in terms of recognition rate and acquisition time. The present study contributes to understanding how in-air sonar sensors behave and interact with complex scatterers such as the human body; also, it offers promise for novel applications of sonar technologies in the field of advanced robotics, where the close interaction between human users and robotic systems is on stage.

The deictically controlled wheelchair

We are developing a ‘gopher’ wheelchair robot which can be used as an aid for disabled individuals. The robot uses a shared control architecture where the robot and the human user share the responsibility for a retrieve and replace task. The medium of the interactive interface between the robot and the user is stereo video images. In addition, the stereo cameras serve as a primary sensor to detect and track targets which guide the robot's low-level servoing. The person is responsible for selecting objects or targets in the environment and then instructing the robot how to move relative to these targets. This paper first describes the hardware and the control interface of this human-robot system. The description here focuses on the system's video algorithms for tracking and evaluating targets. The system builds a binary shape model for each target selected by the user. It also forms a color mapping used to highlight the target in the image. This mapping is used on subsequent images to create a binary image which can be quickly matched with the target's shape model. We have tested this tracking algorithm on videotaped image sequences and on some runs with our wheelchair mobile robot. Our initial results show that this algorithm is reasonably robust for various types of edge and corner targets necessary for navigation.

A step toward a human-robot cooperative system

In the near future, we will have to live with many machines such as home robots, hospital robots, and so on. User-friendly communication between humans and those machines is very important for a cooperative system utilizing their features and abilities. As an example of a human-robot cooperative system, we propose an intuitive approach to robot teaching with multimedia tools.

Robotic Office Room to support office work by human behavior understanding function with networked machines

This paper proposes a novel human-robot symbiosis system named a Robotic Office Room (ROR). The understanding, recording and retrieving of telephone call behavior are successfully demonstrated as a typical example of an office work-supporting function of ROR. A unique object model is proposed, which accumulates information concerning motion of the object. This model enables the system to understand human behavior, not by monitoring the motion of the human, but by monitoring the motion of the object-typically, a telephone or pen. Since the model requires the system to pay spatial and temporal attention only to the target object and related motions, it saves computing power. Repertoires of understandable behavior can easily be expanded by simply adding new object models. The ROR is equipped with networked machines. The concept of "ubiquitous link" consisting of unique image channels and remote control channels is proposed. The image channel and the remote control channel utilize TV images and either ultrasonic waves or infrared rays, respectively. Such cooperative support of humans by networked machines is realized that when a human starts to talk on the phone, the ROR not only starts to record the image of the human's behavior, utilizing a VCR, but also turns down the volume on an audio set. The experiment proved the feasibility of the ROR as an integrated robotic system to support human office work.

Interaction Method in Human-Robot System

Robot interaction method is studied in this paper. Task allocation between human and a robot is discussed. A four-level description of robot task is presented. Human-robot interaction scheme is carried out in a high task level. Robot-environment interaction is introduced to improve the performance of the human-robot interaction and simplify the process. Human knowledge is implemented to the robot to support the interaction. The knowledge is expressed by a fuzzy relation model. An experimental robot workcell is implemented to demonstrate the interaction method.

Cooperative Control of Human-Robot System Using Fuzzy Reasoning

The present autonomous control robots are technically difficult to introduce into unknown working environments. A cooperative control approach between human and robot may be an effective approach for complex and uncertain tasks. This study develops a new cooperative control approach between human and robot by using a fuzzy reasoning and handles force control under the uncertain working environments. The proposed control approach can achieve three control modes: manual, cooperative, and autonomous control, one of which can be automatically chosen by the operator through fuzzy reasoning. Fuzzy reasoning receives two inputs from the operator and the robot. By introducing the fuzzy reasoning, the various human skills can be introduced into cooperative control and can integrate an intuitive human control and a precise autonomous robot control. Some contacting tasks are executed for various object walls using a two-degrees of freedom Cartesian robot. The results indicate the availability of the proposed control approach.