Creating the human-robotic dream team
Engineers design system for robots to work well with human coworkers


Date:
December 14, 2021
Source:
University of British Columbia Okanagan campus
Summary:
Using autonomous vehicle guidelines, a team has developed a system
to improve interactions between people and robots. The way people
interact safely with robots is at the forefront of today's research
related to automation and manufacturing, explains a researcher. She
is one of several researchers who are working to develop systems
that allow humans and robots to interact safely and efficiently.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Using autonomous vehicle guidelines, a team of UBC Okanagan researchers
has developed a system to improve interactions between people and robots.


==========================================================================
The way people interact safely with robots is at the forefront of today's research related to automation and manufacturing, explains Debasita
Mukherjee, a doctoral student and lead author of a recently published
study. She is one of several researchers at UBC's Advanced Control and Intelligent Systems Laboratory who are working to develop systems that
allow humans and robots to interact safely and efficiently.

"It is incredibly important for robots in manufacturing to perform
their tasks in the safest and most efficient method possible," Mukherjee
says. "In order to make these automated machines as smart as possible,
we are developing systems that perceive their environments and carry
out tasks in a similar manner as their human partners." To develop
such systems, researchers are using artificial intelligence and machine learning to help guide the machines. Mechanical Engineering Professor
Homayoun Najjaran says the process is not as straightforward as it seems.

"Robots don't think or feel, so they need systems that capture and analyze their environment enabling them to respond," says Dr. Najjaran. "Often
those responses need to be in hundredths of a second to ensure the
safety of humans in their vicinity." Traditionally, industrial robots
have been fixed and programmed to operate at high speeds and perform
tasks such as welding, painting, assembly, pick-and- place and material handling. Social robots, on the other hand, are built to assist people in service industries. They are typically mobile, lightweight and programmed
to work in a variety of environments.



==========================================================================
The field of research taking place at UBCO's School of Engineering
is called human-robot collaboration (HRC), and it is gaining steam in manufacturing.

Owing to the complementary nature of robot and human capabilities, there
is an increased interest towards a shared workspace for people and robots
to work together collaboratively, forming the motivation behind HRC.

HRC in an industrial setting blends the requirements of both domains in building intelligent, mobile robots that are aware of their surroundings
and the human partner. The researchers are working with several
organizations around the world to assimilate autonomous systems and
machine learning technologies into HRC focused robotics.

However, Mukherjee says adapting to uncertainty within an industrial
setting is the biggest hurdle. Using autonomous vehicle guidelines,
she introduces some rules for functionality between humans and robots
in industrial settings and tests their effectiveness.

"Increasing automation levels is standardized and accepted by the
automotive industry, but other industrial settings, while relatively
static, don't have the same standards," she says. "In the future, not
only will industrial automated systems continue to use sensors to enable perception and communication similar to human capabilities, but they will
also be adapting and communicating in real-time with their surroundings." Mukherjee says this means robots will be able to predict what humans
and other robots will do and can then respond accordingly.

As a next step, the researchers are turning their attention to developing systems that can enable robots to function and respond outside of a
prescribed environment like a factory. The endgame is to achieve the
seamless team dynamics and communication fluency of an all-human team
while using robots.

"In an 'open-world,' robots will need to deal with unexpected variables
like people, structures, machines, and wildlife," she adds. "We
need to ensure they can do this correctly, efficiently and safely." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_British_Columbia_Okanagan_campus. Note: Content may be
edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Debasmita Mukherjee, Kashish Gupta, Li Hsin Chang, Homayoun
Najjaran. A
Survey of Robot Learning Strategies for Human-Robot Collaboration in
Industrial Settings. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing,
2022; 73: 102231 DOI: 10.1016/j.rcim.2021.102231 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211214104202.htm

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