A Virtual Testbed for Human-Robot Interaction

Many research efforts in human-robot interaction (HRI) have so far focussed on the mechanical design of intrinsically safe robots, as well as impedance control for tasks in which human and robot will work together. However, comparatively little attention is paid to an approach that ensures safety and permits close HRI while dispensing human with the necessity of physical presence in close proximity to the robot. In this work we acquire real human manipulation gestures using Microsoft's Kinect sensor and project them in realtime into the workspace of a simulated, impedance controlled robot manipulator. This way, we can remotely and therefore safely superimpose human motion over the robot's dynamic motion, wherever the human operator is located. The simulated robot state is then transferred to the real robot as input, so as to physically perform the intended task. The Virtual Testbed approach might not only be useful for HRI pre-analysis, testing and validation goals but particularly advantageous for telepresence, industrial and harzardous tasks as well as training purposes. Simulation results are provided to show the effectiveness of the approach.