In human-robot physical collaboration, robots currently have a blind spot. Their limitations in observing human whole-body dynamics lead to inefficient collaboration and unergonomic interaction, which, in the long term, may lead to musculo-skeletal diseases. AnDy will resolve this blind spot by developing a sensor suit able to observe human whole body dynamics in real-time, by learning ergonomic and anticipatory models from the big data sets this suit generates, and by incorporating these models in on-line control to make collaboration more efficient and ergonomic.
Project Details
Recent technological progress permits robots to actively and safely share a common workspace with humans. Europe currently leads the robotic market for safety-certified robots, by enabling robots to react to unintentional contacts. AnDy (Advancing Anticipatory Behaviors in Dyadic Human-Robot Collaboration) leverages these technologies and strengthens European leadership by endowing robots with the ability to control physical collaboration through intentional interaction.
To achieve this interaction, AnDy relies on three technological and scientific breakthroughs. First, AnDy will innovate the way of measuring human whole-body motions by developing the wearable AnDySuit, which tracks motions and records forces. Second, AnDy will develop the AnDyModel, which combines ergonomic models with cognitive predictive models of human dynamic behavior in collaborative tasks, which are learned from data acquired with the AnDySuit. Third, AnDy will propose the AnDyControl, an innovative technology for assisting humans through predictive physical control, based on AnDyModel.