Allowing a Real Collaboration Between Humans and Robots

Abstract

Robotics researchers are spending many efforts in developing methodologies and techniques that allow robots to work side by side with humans, with the aim of improving the manufacturing processes. Such a level of interaction does not require just the safe coexistence in a common space, which is something completely achieved by the current state of the art. In scenarios like co-assemblies, humans and robots have to execute alternating tasks, with the aim of realizing a set of possible finite products. This requires the robots to adapt, synchronize and actively cooperate with the humans. This work will show that this goal can be reached by providing the cobots with three main abilities: recognizing the human behaviour, predicting the human actions and optimally planning the robotic ones.