Robot Health

Robot health research focuses on developing methods for monitoring and quantifying a robot's performance degradation in real-time, enabling timely intervention to prevent failures. Current approaches involve defining "robot vitals"—key performance indicators analogous to human vital signs—which are combined into an overall "robot health" score. This framework facilitates automated fault detection and allows for human operators to more effectively manage robots with varying levels of autonomy, reducing cognitive load and improving safety. The resulting improvements in robot reliability and human-robot interaction have significant implications for diverse applications, from planetary exploration to human-assistance robotics.