8 Semi-Autonomous Human-Robot Interaction for People with Disability

Abstract

This chapter presents an innovative semi-autonomous human-robot interaction concept for people with disability and discusses a proof-of-concept prototype system. The communication between the user and the robot is performed by electromyographic (EMG) signals. However, unlike most EMG controlled robotic operations, in this framework the user can issue high-level commands to the robot through a novel EMG based approach. The robot controller is designed such that it is capable of decomposing these high-level commands into primitive subtasks using task grammar. It then develops a dynamic plan that links these primitives with knowledge about the world view to accomplish the high-level task commands. In this manner, a user can achieve semi-autonomous human-robot interaction. This proposed concept eliminates the need for continuous control of the robot and as a result, makes the system easier to use, less tiring and less error-prone. This system provides a platform for the people with disability to supervise a robot through high-level qualitative commands, rather than through low-level robotic teleoperation directives. Such a system would permit a person with disability and a robot to communicate task-relevant information in a convenient, robust, and reliable manner.