Physical Human Robot Collaboration

Physical human-robot collaboration (pHRC) focuses on enabling safe and efficient interaction between humans and robots in shared workspaces, aiming to leverage the strengths of both. Current research emphasizes improving safety through adaptive force-limiting mechanisms, often employing sensitive robotic skins and algorithms that dynamically adjust collision thresholds based on robot dynamics and human intent. This involves developing sophisticated control strategies, such as impedance control and neural adaptive methods, and incorporating real-time intent estimation using models like dynamic systems and deep metric learning to enhance collaboration and avoid unintended collisions. The advancements in pHRC have significant implications for improving productivity and safety in various industries, particularly manufacturing and healthcare.