Interday Reliability of Upper-limb Geometric MyoPassivity Map for Physical Human-Robot Interaction

The value of intrinsic energetic behavior of human biomechanics has recently been recognized and exploited in physical human-robot interaction (pHRI). The authors have recently proposed the concept of “Biomechanical Excess of Passivity,” based on nonlinear control theory, to construct a user-specific energetic map. The map would assess the behavior of the upper-limb in absorbing the kinesthetic energy when interacting with robots. Integrating such knowledge into the design of pHRI stabilizers can reduce the conservatism of the control by unleashing hidden energy reservoirs indicating a less conservative margin of stability. The outcome would enhance the system's performance, such as rendering kinesthetic transparency of (tele)haptics systems. However, current methods require an offline data-driven identification procedure prior to each operation to estimate the energetic map of human biomechanics. This can be time-consuming and challenge users susceptible to fatigue. In this study, for the first time, we investigate the interday reliability of upper-limb passivity maps in a sample of five healthy subjects. Our statistical analyses indicate that the identified passivity map is highly reliable in estimating the expected energetic behavior based on Intraclass correlation coefficient analysis (conducted on different days and with various interactions). The results illustrate that a one-shot estimate is a reliable measure to be used repeatedly in biomechanics-aware pHRI stabilization, enhancing practicality in real-life scenarios.