A Research Platform for Human-Robot-Interaction with Focus on Collaborative Assembly Scenarios

Effective communication between robots and human operators is crucial for seamless collaboration in industrial settings. We aim to capture the requirements of collaborative assembly procedures in the context of the Industry 5.0 paradigm and explore the feasibility of various multi-modal feedback systems, including visual cues, sound effects, and virtual eyes. To achieve this, we present a novel research platform designed to investigate human-robot interaction (HRI) strategies in collaborative assembly tasks. The platform uses LEGO bricks to simulate real-world assembly processes. An experiment is designed in which human and robot collaboratively build a structure, allowing us to investigate potential communication interfaces between them. A preliminary user study provides first insights into the perception of the robot’s visualized intentions and actions by the user. The platform setup is not intended to be a fixed system, but rather a starting point for further investigation and future studies in the field of HRI.