We restrict the robot motion in terms of velocity so that the motion is safe for humans. This is a kind of reactive strategy which makes the robot react to sensor information in real time. Moreover, we restrict the robot motion more strictly when the robot is moving towards the human but can relax such restriction when the robot is moving away from the human. This asymmetric characteristic benefits both human safety and the robot’s efficiency.
We consider that a deep analysis of the kinematic constraints present during HRI will open new paths towards the development of a safer robot behavior. We created a visualization tool that uses the information obtained from a sensor suit worn by a human subject and the kinematics of a humanoid robot. We investigate the kinematic constraints that are present in HRI, and, from that knowledge, we expect that new clues to improve human safety will arise.