Human-Aware Reactive Task Planning of Sequential Robotic Manipulation Tasks
Ma, Wanyu Duan, Anqing Lee, Hoi-Yin Zheng, Pai Navarro-Alarcon, David
Ma, Wanyu
Duan, Anqing
Lee, Hoi-Yin
Zheng, Pai
Navarro-Alarcon, David
Supervisor
Department
Robotics
Embargo End Date
Type
Journal article
Date
2025
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Language
English
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Abstract
The recent emergence of Industry 5.0 underscores the need for increased autonomy in human–robot interaction (HRI), presenting both motivation and challenges in achieving resilient and energy-efficient production systems. To address this, in this article, we introduce a strategy for seamless collaboration between humans and robots in manufacturing and maintenance tasks. Our method enables smooth switching between temporary HRI (human-aware mode) and long-horizon automated manufacturing (fully automatic mode), effectively solving the human–robot coexistence problem. We develop a task progress monitor that decomposes complex tasks into robot-centric action sequences, further divided into three-phase subtasks. A trigger signal orchestrates mode switches based on detected human actions and their contribution to the task. In addition, we introduce a human agent coefficient matrix, computed using selected environmental features, to determine cut-points for reactive execution by each robot. To validate our approach, we conducted extensive experiments involving robotic manipulators performing representative manufacturing tasks in collaboration with humans. The results show promise for advancing HRI, offering pathways to enhancing sustainability within Industry 5.0. Our work lays the foundation for intelligent manufacturing processes in future societies, marking a pivotal step toward realizing the full potential of human–robot collaboration.
Citation
W. Ma, A. Duan, H. -Y. Lee, P. Zheng and D. Navarro-Alarcon, "Human-Aware Reactive Task Planning of Sequential Robotic Manipulation Tasks," in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, doi: 10.1109/TII.2024.3514130
Source
IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics
Conference
Keywords
Robots, Robot kinematics, Monitoring, Human-robot interaction, Switches, Collaboration, Service robots, Manufacturing, Vectors, Informatics
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Source
Publisher
IEEE