Motivated by challenges operators face with manual control tasks, including fatigue and workload management, this research explores the adoption of a semi-autonomous control method to improve work environment quality and task metrics in controlled situations. Building upon the success of Programming by Demonstration (PbD) for single-arm industrial robotic applications, we extend these techniques to dual-arm robotic control. We present a semi-autonomous approach allowing users to supervise tasks while delegating control to the system, alleviating stress and fatigue associated with manual control operations. This research compares manual and semi-autonomous control in a human-robot team, focusing quantitatively on user performance and qualitatively on trust in the system. Participants controlled a dual-arm robotic system from a remote cockpit, monitoring progress through a graphical user interface (GUI) and camera views. Semi-autonomous control employs PbD with selectable ’motion primitives’. Trials involved a modified pick-and-place task and results demonstrate a significantly higher success rate across all metrics with semi-autonomous control.
This study highlights the applicability of PbD as a semi-autonomous control method in human-robot teams, reducing workload stress and enhancing task performance. Integrating sensors for dynamic environment analysis to create motion feedback mechanisms could further enhance user trust and system adaptability. Ultimately, this research suggests implementing semi-autonomous control for dual-arm robotic systems, offering faster onboarding for new operators and increased operational flexibility while minimizing user stress and fatigue.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/48897 |
Date | 28 May 2024 |
Creators | Mudgal, Karan Chaitanya |
Contributors | Ranzani, Tommaso |
Source Sets | Boston University |
Language | en_US |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
Rights | Attribution 4.0 International, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
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