NRI: Large: Collaborative Research: Human-robot Coordinated Manipulation and Transportation of Large Objects

Motivated by the complementary abilities of humans and humanoids, the objective of this proposal is to develop the science and technology necessary for realizing human-robot cooperative object manipulation and transportation. The key concepts that this research seeks to promote are adaptability to human activity under minimal communication, and robustness to variability and uncertainty in the environment, achieved through a layered representation and deliberate processing of the available information. Moreover, this project aims to make maximum use of a minimal set of sensors to plan and control the actions of the robot, while ensuring safe and efficient cooperative transportation. The embodiment of this research is a humanoid co-worker that bears most of the load, when helping a person to carry an object, without requiring excessive communication, or prior training on the part of the human.

By introducing concrete methods for human-robot physical collaboration in semi-structured environments, this project enables a unique synergy between robots and humans that has the potential to increase productivity, and reduce accidents and injuries. In doing so, it also promotes the advancement of new practical applications of robots in construction, manufacturing, logistics, and home services. By developing open-source, portable algorithms for humanoid robots and mobile manipulators, this effort results in cost and time savings for researchers, developers, educators, and end-users in robotics. Finally, through an aggressive educational and community outreach plan, and by actively engaging K-12 students in an exciting RoboTech Fellows program, this project seeks to increase diversity and attract underrepresented groups to STEM.