68 accepted papers
Achieving robust and reliable control in robotic systems is crucial, especially in presence of model uncertainties. Over the last years the notion of closed-loop sensitivity has emerged as an effective tool for analyzing and quantifying how uncertainties in the model parameters affect the closed-loo…
Learning by demonstration techniques are gaining popularity within the human-robot collaboration (HRC) scenarios. This is because they allow to deeply exploit the versatility of collaborative robots. In this context, dynamic motion primitives (DMPs) have become a standard method for enabling human o
Achieving robust robot control requires explicit treatment of model uncertainties. Closed-loop sensitivity has emerged as a powerful tool to analyze how parameter errors map into state and input deviations through so-called “sensitivity tubes”, traditionally built from <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.
In this article, an optimal controller for achieving constrained admittance control is proposed. This controller strictly adheres to the constraint boundaries while ensuring minimal variations in kinematic energy. The proposed method integrates admittance control for human-robot interaction with the
Ensuring safe and effective physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) remains a critical challenge in industrial robotics, particularly in ensuring compliance with ISO/TS 15066 safety standards. This paper proposes a novel framework to achieve a safe and robust physical human-robot interaction (pHRI).
The new face of modern industrial scenarios involves shared workspaces where humans and robots work closely together. To ensure safe human-robot collaboration (HRC), regulations have been updated introducing the ISO/TS15066. However, complying with these regulations often leads to inefficient behavi
In the context of interaction with unmodelled systems, it becomes imperative for a robot controller to possess the capability to dynamically adjust its actions in real-time, enhancing its resilience in the face of fluctuating environmental conditions. This adaptation process must be performed in a s…
The human-robot collaboration scenarios are characterized by the presence of human operators and robots that work in close contact with each other. As a consequence, the safety regulations have been updated in order to provide guidelines on how to asses safety in these new scenarios. In particular,…
In the context of Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC), it is crucial that the two actors are able to communicate with each other in a natural and efficient manner. The absence of a communication interface is often a cause of undesired slowdowns. On one hand, this is because unforeseen events may occur,…
This paper presents a Human-Robot Blind Handover architecture within the context of Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC). The focus lies on a blind handover scenario where the operator is intentionally faced away, focused in a task, and requires an object from the robot. In this context, it is imperative…
In the actual industrial scenarios, human operators and robots work together sharing the workspace. Such proximity requires special attention in ensuring safety for the human operator, which is often translated in collision avoidance behaviour or high speed reduction. Adhering safety however is not…
Energy tanks have gained popularity inside the robotics and control communities over the last years, since they represent a formidable tool to enforce passivity (and, thus, input/output stability) of a controlled robot, possibly interacting with uncertain environments. One weak point of passificatio…
When interacting with unmodelled dynamic systems, a robot controller should be capable of adapting online its behavior, in order to be robust to the changing environmental conditions. In the paradigm of passivity-based control, virtual energy tanks allow to perform such adaptations in a robustly sta
During physical human robot collaboration, it is important to be able to implement a time-varying interactive behaviour while ensuring robust stability. Admittance control and passivity theory can be exploited for achieving these objectives. Nevertheless, when the admittance dynamics is time-varying…
In this paper, we propose a novel torque controller for the implementation virtual remote center of motion. The controller allows the system to implement the required behavior and guarantees the satisfaction of the remote center of motion constraint. Exploiting the Udwadia-Kalaba equation for constr…
While aerial manipulation has witnessed noticeable growth as a field in the last decade, most works investigated forms of interaction with static and rigid environments only. Whenever dynamic environments were considered, the employed methods often relied on the knowledge of the model of the environ
A fruitful collaboration is based on the mutual knowledge of each other skills and on the possibility of communicating their own limits and proposing alternatives to adapt the execution of a task to the capabilities of the collaborators. This paper aims at reproducing such a scenario in a human-robo…
In this paper we present a novel strategy for reactive collision-free feasible motion planning for robotic manipulators operating inside an environment populated by moving obstacles. The proposed strategy embeds the Dynamical System (DS) based obstacle avoidance algorithm into a constrained non-line…
Within the context of Robotic Minimally Invasive Surgery (R-MIS), we propose a novel linear model predictive controller formulation for the coordination of multiple autonomous robotic arms. The controller is synthesized by formulating a linear approximation of non-linear constraints, which allows th…
Passivity-based control ensures the implementation of a desired behavior in a controlled system, while preserving robust stability. In this letter, we propose a new method to guarantee passivity, based on energy-tank control and Control Barrier Functions. The goal is to accomplish a desired behavior
In collaborative robotic applications, human and robot have to work together during a whole shift for executing a sequence of jobs. The performance of the human robot team can be enhanced by scheduling the right tasks to the human and the robot. The scheduling should consider the task execution cons
In collaborative robotic applications, human and robot have to work together to accomplish a common job, composed by a set of tasks. In order to achieve an efficient human-robot collaboration (HRC), it is important to have an integration between a proper task scheduling strategy and a task execution…
The new paradigm of human-robot collaboration has led to the creation of shared work environments in which humans and robots work in close contact with each other. Consequently, the safety regulations have been updated addressing these new scenarios. The mere application of these regulations may lea
In Human-Robot Collaboration, the robot operates in a highly dynamic environment. Thus, it is pivotal to guarantee the robust stability of the system during the interaction but also a high flexibility of the robot behavior in order to ensure safety and reactivity to the variable conditions of the co…
In this paper, we propose a novel bilateral teleoperation architecture that allows to optimally render the remote interaction force at the local side while guaranteeing a robustly stable behaviour. Stability is guaranteed by ensuring a proper energy exchange between the local and the remote sides. D…
In this paper we propose a novel flexible and optimization-free controller for standard torque-controlled manipulator for Robotic-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery. A novel method has been developed to model the constraint introduced by the laparoscopic tool, i.e. the remote center of motion, expl…
ISO/TS 15066 is globally recognized as the guideline for designing safe collaborative robotic cells, where human and robot collaborate in order to fulfill a common job. Current approaches for implementing the ISO/TS 15066 guidelines lead to a conservative behavior (e.g. low velocity) of the robot an
Executing multiple tasks concurrently is important in many robotic applications. Moreover, the prioritization of tasks is essential in applications where safety-critical tasks need to precede application-related objectives, in order to protect both the robot from its surroundings and vice versa. Fur…
In the present paper, we propose a novel system-driven adaptive shared control framework in which the autonomous system allocates the authority among the human operator and itself. Authority allocation is based on a metric derived from a Bayesian filter, which is being adapted online according to re…
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is considered the gold standard for the treatment of patients with renal stones larger than 20 mm in diameter. The success and treatment outcomes of the surgery are very well known to be highly dependent on the precision and accuracy of the puncture step, since it
In this paper we present a novel strategy for motion planning of autonomous robotic arms in Robotic Minimally Invasive Surgery (R-MIS). We consider a scenario where several laparoscopic tools must move and coordinate in a shared environment. The motion planner is based on a Model Predictive Controll…
Multi-robot systems are able to achieve common objectives exchanging information among each other. This is possible exploiting a communication structure, usually modeled as a graph, whose topological properties (such as connectivity) are very relevant in the overall performance of the multirobot sys…
In this paper, a two-layer architecture for the bilateral teleoperation of multi-arms systems with communication delay is presented. We extend the single-master-single-slave two layer approach proposed in [1] by connecting multiple robots to a single energy tank. This allows to minimize the conserva…
The development of robotic systems with a certain level of autonomy to be used in critical scenarios, such as an operating room, necessarily requires a seamless integration of multiple state-of-the-art technologies. In this paper we propose a cognitive robotic architecture that is able to help an op…
The possibility of adapting online the way a robot interacts with the environment is becoming more and more important. In this paper we introduce the tank based admittance controller. We show that all the admittance controllers can be modeled as an energy optimization problem and then we introduce a…
In this letter we design a novel control strategy for a space manipulator operating on a controlled base. The proposed controllers resolve the tracking of the end-effector and the regulation of the base. In particular, we focus on the effects due to the different sampling rates of the manipulator an
The raise of collaborative robotics has allowed to create new spaces where robots and humans work in proximity. Consequently, to predict human movements and his/her final intention becomes crucial to anticipate robot next move, preserving safety and increasing efficiency. In this paper we propose a…
Performing ultrasound procedures from a remote site is a challenging task since both a stable behavior, for the safety of the patient, and a high-level of usability, to exploit the sonographer's expertise, need to be guaranteed. Furthermore, a teleoperation system that provides such requirements has…
In this work we present a novel approach which compensates the destabilising effects of the time delay intrinsic in the control loop of an admittance-controlled robot employed for satellite dynamics simulation. The method is based on an energy storing element, the tank, which is exploited by the con…
Legibility can be defined as the ability of a robot to communicate its intent to the user. Legibility is relatively little investigated in multi-robot systems, but, in the literature, studies exist where the trajectory of manipulators is analyzed as a factor to improve the collaboration between robo…
Accurate yield estimation is very important for improving the vineyard management, the quality of the grapes and the health of the vines. The most common systems use RGB image processing for achieving a good estimation. In order to collect images, robots or farming vehicles can be equipped with a RG…
In order to make robot programming more easy and immediate, walk-through programming techniques can be exploited. However, a modification of a portion of the trajectory usually means to execute the path from the beginning. In this paper we propose a passivity-based framework to modify the trajectory…
In this paper we address the problem of controlling a robotic system mounted on an actuated floating base for space applications. In particular, we investigate the stability issues due to the low rate of the base control unit. We propose a passivity-based stabilizing controller based on the time dom…
In this paper we consider a multi-robot system that shares the environment with external entities, and we propose a methodology for controlling the interaction with them. In particular, we consider the problem of achieving a desired dynamic interaction model, in such a way that the multi-robot syste…
In multi-robot systems passive interconnections among agents are often exploited to achieve a desired and robustly stable cooperative behavior. Nevertheless, the passivity constraint limits the kinds of behaviors that can be achieved. In this paper, we exploit the concept of energy tank for building…
In this letter, we address the problem of teleoperating a multirobot system, and we propose a methodology for letting the user teleoperate the group of robots according to some desired dynamic behavior. Specifically, we propose a novel methodology for the teleoperation of multirobot systems, where a
The paper describes an estimation and identification procedure that allows to reconstruct the inertial parameters of a rigid load attached to the end-effector of an industrial manipulator. In particular, the proposed method adopts a multirate quaternion-based Kalman filter, fusing measurements obtai…
This letter introduces a novel methodology for letting a user interact with a robotic system in a natural manner. The main idea is that of defining an interaction system that does not require any specific infrastructure or device but relies on commonly utilized objects while leaving the user's hands
This paper proposes a passive and explicit integrator for simulating a rotational rigid-body dynamics rendered by a robot. Considering the Euler integration method, active energy terms are identified. These sources of energy are due to the external torque and the coupled dynamics which can lead to a…
In this paper we consider the problem of controlling the dynamic behavior of a multi-robot system while interacting with the environment. In particular, we propose a general methodology that, by means of locally scaling inter-robot coupling relationships, leads to achieving a desired interactive beh…
In physical human-robot interaction, the coexistence of robots and humans in the same workspace requires the guarantee of a stable interaction, trying to minimize the effort for the operator. To this aim, the admittance control is widely used and the appropriate selection of the its parameters is cr…
Teleoperating a quadrotor equipped with a monocular camera for exploring a wide area in search of something has become a common practice in many application scenarios (e.g. search and rescue). In order to efficiently plan operations, estimating the 3D pose of a point of interest is as important as d…
The paper describes a control architecture for industrial robotic applications allowing human/robot interactions, using an admittance control scheme and direct sensing of the human inputs. The aim of the proposed scheme is to support the operator of an industrial robot, equipped with a force/torque
In this paper we address the problem of assigning a set of tasks to a set of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), in a conflict-free manner. Specifically, we consider a system of multiple AGVs, moving along a predefined roadmap, and utilized for transportation of goods in automated warehouses. Sequenti…
In this paper we present a passive and reliable explicit discrete integrator, which allows to preserve the energy and dynamic properties of a physical body rendered on a hardware-in-the-loop simulator. Starting from the standard Euler integrator, we identify the energy generation that results from t…
This paper presents TIREBOT, a novel tire-workshop robotic co-worker that can safely move in a tire workshop and assist the operator in lifting and transporting wheels among several working stations. A safe and cooperative navigation strategy based on the concept of danger field is illustrated. Fina…
Admittance control is a widely used approach for guaranteeing a compliant behavior of the robot in physical human-robot interaction. When an admittance-controlled robot is coupled with a human, the dynamics of the human can cause deviations from the desired behavior of the robot, mainly due to a sti…
The co-ordination of multiple automated guided vehicles (AGVs) is one of the main issues to address for the implementation of an efficient autonomous warehouse. Traffic jams are highly undesirable and, therefore, the motion of the AGVs should be planned by considering the current and future state of
This paper introduces a performance oriented method for simulating stable free-floating satellite dynamics on a position controlled robot. Intrinsic latencies found in robot controllers, i.e. between input and output data, are known to produce stability issues and performance degradation. These issu…
Wave variables are a very popular approach for dealing with communication delay in bilateral teleoperation because of their effectiveness and of their simplicity. Nevertheless, the inherent dynamics of wave based communication channels is often deleterious for the transparency of the teleoperation s
This paper introduces a control strategy for obtaining cooperative tracking of periodic setpoint trajectories in multi-robot systems. A heterogeneous group of robots is considered: a few independent robots are used as a control input for the system, with the aim of controlling the position of the re
In this paper we consider the problem of coordinating the motion of a group of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) utilized in industrial environments for logistics operations. In particular, we consider a hierarchical coordination strategy, where the environment is partitioned into sectors: coordinati…
Because of their simplicity, wave variables have become almost a standard strategy for stabilizing delayed bilateral teleoperation systems. However, the price to pay for a stable behavior is a degradation in the performance of the teleoperation system. Recently, more flexible and transparency orient…
In this paper we propose a novel algorithm for the dynamic routing of a group of Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) used for transporting goods in automatic warehouses. Our strategy allows to improve the efficiency of a fleet of AGVs in terms of delivery time and its computational burden is sufficien…
The paper describes a passivity based approach to the generation of virtual fixtures for robotic teleoperation schemes involving multiple masters and multiple slaves. Virtual fixtures considered in the paper aim to guide the user towards a geometric path, which is assumed to be collision-free by des…
Autonomous vehicles require advances sensing technologies, in order to be able to safely share the environment with human operators. Those sensing technologies are in fact necessary for identifying the presence of unforeseen objects, and measuring their position and velocity. Furthermore, classifica…
When teleoperating a multi-robot system it is useful to control the kind of behavior of the fleet depending on the environment it is moving in. In this paper, a novel bilateral control architecture for teleoperating a group of mobile robots is proposed. The user can command the robots both as a flex…
In this paper we introduce the design of a light-weight novel flexible-joint arm for light-weight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which can be used both for safe physical interaction with the environment and it represents also a preliminary step in the direction of performing quick motions for task…