Wearable sensor tools for efficient human robot interaction

— Human-robot interaction (HRI) technology is growing rapidly, with many products being designed to operate outside the industry, such as in the home. However, controlling robots in a domestic setting is challenging due to high variations in such environments. Also, human behaviour varies, and the same individual might behave differently in similar situations. In this paper, the design of a wearable data acquisition system, comprised of wearable sensors and a control box that communicates wirelessly with sensors on the robot to improve safe human-robot collaboration on tasks, is revised. The literature review identifies factors that affect the robotic system’s wearability and leads to the production of a Product Design Specification (PDS), against which the original and subsequent designs of the set-up are evaluated. Several iterations are assessed, and how limitations in the original design are overcome are explained with reference to the system’s location, ergonomics, and wearability. The final prototype is then tested on human users using ‘range of motion’ and ‘representative task’ experiments to assess its improved wearability. The potential applications of the device in the domestic environment are explained and suggestions for the future scope of the research made.