Physical Human-Robot Interaction

The REACH lab is involved in a number of projects related to physical human-robot interaction. We have investigated hybrid actuation approaches and controls for the purposes of achieving higher performance while maintaining safety through a low output impedance. We have also developed methods that enable robots to learn about the constraints of physical tasks by learning from demonstrations using instrumented tools (e.g., tongs with force-torque sensors to measure interaction wrenches). As part of a NASA University Leadership Initiative project, we have developed shared autonomy methods where an operator provides informed real-time corrections to the robot while it completes contact-rich tasks, such as sanding or polishing. The research results have applications in industrial manufacturing and novice interactions with robots.