Survey on human–robot collaboration in industrial settings: Safety, intuitive interfaces and applications

Although the concept of industrial cobots dates back to 1999, most present day hybrid human-machine assembly systems are merely weight compensators. Here, we present results on the development of a collaborative human-robot manufacturing cell for homokinetic joint assembly. The robot alternates active and passive behaviours during assembly, to lighten the burden on the operator in the first case, and to comply to his/her needs in the latter. Our approach can successfully manage direct physical contact between robot and human, and between robot and environment. Furthermore, it can be applied to standard position (and not torque) controlled robots, common in the industry. The approach is validated in a series of assembly experiments. The human workload is reduced, diminishing the risk of strain injuries. Besides, a complete risk analysis indicates that the proposed setup is compatible with the safety standards, and could be certified.

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Collaborative manufacturing with physical human–robot interaction

The wide interest of research and industry in the human–robot interaction HRI related topics is proportional to the increased productivity and flexibility of the production lines, as it combines human and robot capabilities. This paper presents a review of recent research and progress on HRI, related to task planning/coordination and programming with emphasis on the manufacturing/production environment. Human–robot task allocation and scheduling, metrics for HRI, as well as the social aspects are reviewed. The role of digital human modelling systems for human–robot task planning related issues is also discussed. The process of learning by demonstration as well as the instructive systems is reviewed, focussing mainly on programming through visual guidance and imitation, voice commands and haptic interaction. The aspect of physical HRI as well as the safety related issues are also discussed. Additionally, a survey on multimodal communication frameworks is presented. Challenges encountered and directions for future research are discussed.

Human–robot interaction review and challenges on task planning and programming

Symbiotic human-robot collaborative assembly

Design Considerations for Safe Human-robot Collaborative Workplaces

This is a study of a Human-Robot Collaboration HRC framework for the execution of collaborative tasks in hybrid assembly cells. Robots and humans coexist in the same cell and share tasks according to their capabilities. An intelligent decision-making method that allows human-robot task allocation is proposed and is integrated within a Robot Operating System ROS framework. The proposed method enables the allocation of sequential tasks assigned to a robot and a human in separate workspaces. The focus is rather given to the human–robot coexistence for the execution of sequential tasks, in order for the automation level in manual or even hybrid assembly lines to be increased. Body gestures are the means of a human’s interaction with a robot for commanding and guiding reasons. The proposed framework is implemented into a case coming from the manual assembly lines of an automotive industry. A preliminary design of a hybrid assembly cell is presented, focusing on the assembly of a hydraulic pump by robots and humans.

https://tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/0951192X.2016.1187297

On a human-robot collaboration in an assembly cell

ROBO-PARTNER: Seamless Human-Robot Cooperation for Intelligent, Flexible and Safe Operations in the Assembly Factories of the Future☆

This paper proposes a method for human–robot (HR) task planning, considering at the same time, the design of the workplace. A model for the representation of humans and robots as a team of active resources is proposed, while equipment such as working tables and fixtures are considered passive resources. The HR workload is structured in a three-level model. A multi-criteria decision-making framework is used for the formulation of alternative layouts and task allocations. Both analytical models and simulation are used for the estimation of the criteria values, allowing for the evaluation of the different alternatives. A software prototype has been implemented and tested in white goods and in automotive industry cases, demonstrating that the tool can identify good quality solutions in a short time frame.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/0951192X.2017.1307524

Panagiota Tsarouchi

Papers

Human–robot interaction review and challenges on task planning and programming

Design Considerations for Safe Human-robot Collaborative Workplaces

On a human-robot collaboration in an assembly cell

ROBO-PARTNER: Seamless Human-Robot Cooperation for Intelligent, Flexible and Safe Operations in the Assembly Factories of the Future☆

On a human–robot workplace design and task allocation system