On Measuring the Contribution of Human Operator in Collaborative Human-Robot Load Carrying Tasks

In this study, collaborative human-robot interaction is aimed and realized using an inherently unstable mobile robot called ballbot. Three different experiments are considered for scenarios of guidance of the ballbot by the human operator and collaborative/cooperative human-robot load carrying activities. The force applied by the human operator is measured with a force gauge sensor and considered as a measure of the effort provided by the human. Based on this measure, the contribution of the human operator in collaborative/cooperative human-robot load carrying scenarios is investigated.