Pint of Robotics: Human-Centered Robotics: Towards Assisted and Intuitive Co-Manipulation, Dr Susana Sanchez, Softbank Robotics Europe

Speaker: Dr Susana Sanchez, Softbank Robotics Europe

Title: Human-Centered Robotics: Towards Assisted and Intuitive Co-Manipulation

When: Wednesday 5th May, 1700-1800

Where: Zoom (free but registration required) https://universityofleeds.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pdu6rqzovHtdbZRNGFuNzzOAS2C6lRoSk

Abstract: For a very long time, automation was driven by the use of traditional industrial robots placed in cages, programmed to repeat more or less complex tasks at their highest speed and with maximum accuracy. This robot-oriented solution is heavily dependent on hard automation which requires pre-specified fixtures and time consuming programming, hindering robots from becoming flexible and versatile tools. These robots have evolved towards a new generation of small, inexpensive, inherently safe and flexible systems that work hand in hand with humans. In these new collaborative workspaces the human can be included in the loop as an active agent. As a teacher and as a co-worker one can influence the decision-making process of the robot. In this context, virtual guides are an important tool used to assist the human worker by reducing physical effort and cognitive overload during tasks accomplishment. In this talk, I will give an overview of collaborative robotics and co-manipulation and then focus on the several definitions and applications of virtual guides. I will explain my approach to create virtual guides by demonstration through an iterative method based on kinesthetic teaching and displacement splines. The talk will end with an overview of the challenges and perspectives of the field.

Short Bio: Susana is a research engineer in robotics at Softbank Robotics Europe and she holds a PhD in robotics and automatics from the University of Toulouse (France). Susana has experience in mechatronics and industrial cobotics (manufacturing and logistics). Her main interest is around human-robot interaction both in industrial and social environments.