Agostino De Santis

Human-Robot Interaction Control Using Force and Vision

The extension of application domains of robotics from factories to human environments leads to implementing proper strategies for close interaction between people and robots. In order to avoid dangerous collision, force and vision based control can be used, while tracking human motion during such interaction.

A Virtual-Reality-based evaluation environment for wheelchair-mounted manipulators

The design of solutions for robotic extenders of wheelchairs must take into account both objective and subjective metrics for everyday activities in human environments. Virtual Reality (VR) constitutes a useful tool to effectively test design ideas and to verify performance criteria. This paper presents the development of a simulation environment, where three different manipulators to be mounted on a commercially available wheelchair have been considered. Experimental results are discussed in a significant case study, based upon users’ feedback.

Inverse Kinematics of Robot Manipulators with Multiple Moving Control Points

The growing research area of physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI) claims for safe robot control algorithms in the presence of humans. Managing kinematic redundancy via fast techniques is also mandatory for interaction tasks with humans. It is worth noticing that control points on a manipulator can change, e.g., depending on possible multiple collisions (intentional or accidental) with the interacting users. An approach is presented for changing the control point in real time with corresponding proper inverse kinematics. Whole-body modelling is adopted for such a task. A simulation case study is proposed.

Multiple-Point Kinematic Control of a Humanoid Robot

Robots designed to operate in everyday domains have to move in environments designed for the humans. Therefore, they will often have a humanoid kinematic structure. Simple and efficient kinematic models are needed for motion control of this class of robots. An algorithm is presented to solve the inverse kinematics problem in the presence of a number of control points arbitrarily located on the whole robot body, using an augmented Jacobian approach and including posture control. Simulation experiments are reported, showing the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Force and Visual Control for Safe Human-Robot Interaction

Abstract. Unlike the industrial robotics domain where the workspace of machines and humans can be segmented, applications of intelligent machines that work in contact with humans are increasing, which involve e.g. haptic interfaces and teleoperators, cooperative material-handling, power extenders and such high-volume markets as rehabilitation, physical training and entertainment. Force and vision play a fundamental role to increase the autonomy of a robotic system, especially in the presence of humans. Vision provides global information on the surrounding environment to be used for motion planning and obstacle avoidance, while force allows adjusting the robot motion so that the local constraints imposed by the environment are satisfied. In order to avoid dangerous collisions and ensure a safe interaction, suitable control strategies based on force and visual feedback can be used while tracking human motion. This paper surveys such strategies and presents some experimental results in a number of significant case studies.