Aerial Physical Human Robot Interaction for Payload Transportation

Recent human-robot interaction paradigms on aerial robots unfold many potential applications, and efforts are further being made to explore this field. Physical interaction with aerial robots can provide an intuitive way of delivering high-level commands and allowing humans to perform collaborative tasks. The presented work demonstrates the feasibility of deploying the aerial robot to physically work with the human operator to transport the payload collaboratively in outdoor settings. A system comprised of a rigid object lifted by a human and a quadcopter from its end is considered. Custom build sensor systems, namely Human Handle Device and Cable Attitude Device, have been designed to estimate human commands and state feedback reliably. A control strategy for the quadcopter is designed to interact naturally with the operator for safer and smooth collaborative payload transportation. Successful outdoor experiments with five novice subjects are presented that demonstrate the feasibility and potential application of the proposed modality.

Automated summary

Recent research in human-robot interaction has shown that aerial robots can physically interact with humans, providing an intuitive way to give commands and collaborate on tasks. In this study, a system involving a human lifting a rigid object with a quadcopter is explored. Custom sensor systems are designed to accurately estimate human commands and provide state feedback. Successful outdoor experiments demonstrate the feasibility and potential applications of this modality.