Human-Robot Interaction Based on use of Capacitive Sensors

In industrial assembly processes nowadays there is a trend of incorporating robotics and automation in more fields of human activity. The objective is to alleviate the work process for human operators and improve operations with the ultimate goal of increasing precision, shortening the cycle time and reducing risks. However current limitations of technical systems still dictate that human operator takes part in the process and also provides necessary support to the system. Development of advanced interaction models could simplify the role of human operators mainly in complex tasks. Robotic assistants, in form of an industrial robot, completely replace human operators in processes they are fit to perform or assist and hand items to them when they are not. When working together the robot's priority is not to harm the human. Also it is important the human can convey desired actions of the robot in an intuitive manner. The goal is to apply human robot interaction models based on tactile stimulus. A simple capacitive sensor field has been developed for aiding the human-robot interaction in industrial applications. The sensor is connected to Arduino controller and mounted on the robot. When the human operator is in contact with the robot the change of capacitance is detected. The robot responses appropriately based on the input. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.