A position generation algorithm utilizing a biomechanical model for robot-human object handover

Abstract

We present a novel approach for generating candidate handover positions for human receivers. The object handover problem involves several variables and is under-constrained. The sheer number of possibilities makes it nontrivial to find a good object handover position for existing algorithms. To address this problem, we introduce the use of a custom biomechanical model in a novel algorithm for generating a handover position. The biomechanical model serves as a tool for approximating the static strength a human receiver needs to exert in order to receive an object. A mobile manipulator can use the output of our algorithm when calculating a target position for handing over an object to a human. We show preliminary results involving electromyography data and joint moment values, as well as a proof-of-concept implementation with a mobile manipulator to fetch a toolbox to a receiver.