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Project

Towards intention-based human-robot collaborative manufacturing

In manufacturing industry, a shift is observable towards high-mix, low-volume batches. The upcoming era demands for both flexible and automated systems for which the required skills go far beyond those of humans or robots alone. The solution can be found in human-robot collaboration (HRC). Existing research primarily focused on human-robot cooperation, with human and robot performing fixed task sequences. Deviating from this is often excluded. The human operator is regarded as a controllable entity whose tasks can be planned and scheduled in advance and will always strictly follow the imposed schedule. Apart from sharing the same workspace, although without physical barriers, there is no question of collaboration. In this research, a more realistic approach is proposed. During human-robot collaboration, the robot will continuously try to discover the human's activities and intentions and subsequently anticipate in an appropriate manner by including this information in its task planning and scheduling. Furthermore, distinction is made between the designer intent and operator intent. This will result in a more natural and efficient HRC. The proposed solution will be validated in collaborative assembly scenarios between an industrial cobot and a human operator.

Date:23 Aug 2017 →  31 Mar 2023
Keywords:Human-Robot Interaction, Flexible Automation, CAD-based Assembly
Disciplines:Manufacturing engineering, Other mechanical and manufacturing engineering, Product development, Control systems, robotics and automation, Design theories and methods, Mechatronics and robotics, Computer theory
Project type:PhD project