Related papers: Human-centered manipulation and navigation with Ro…
Good human relationships are important for us to have a happy life and maintain our well-being. Otherwise, we will be at risk of experiencing loneliness or depression. In human-computer interaction (HCI) and computer-supported cooperative…
In this context, a major focus of this thesis is on unintentional collisions, where a straight goal is to eliminate injury from users and passerby's via realtime sensing and control systems. A less obvious focus is to combine collision…
We present our ongoing research on applying a participatory design approach to using social robots for elderly care. Our approach involves four different groups of stakeholders: the elderly, (non-professional) caregivers, medical…
Traditional path-planning techniques treat humans as obstacles. This has changed since robots started to enter human environments. On modern robots, social navigation has become an important aspect of navigation systems. To use…
We present an ongoing project that aims to develop a social robot to help children cope with painful and distressing medical procedures in a clinical setting. Our approach uses automated planning as a core component for action selection in…
Dexterous manipulation through imitation learning has gained significant attention in robotics research. The collection of high-quality expert data holds paramount importance when using imitation learning. The existing approaches for…
Humanoid robots that act as human-robot interfaces equipped with social skills can assist people in many of their daily activities. Receptionist robots are one such application where social skills and appearance are of utmost importance.…
Enabling robots to grasp and reposition human limbs can significantly enhance their ability to provide assistive care to individuals with severe mobility impairments, particularly in tasks such as robot-assisted bed bathing and dressing.…
With the aim of enabling robots to cooperate with humans, carry out human-like tasks, or navigate among humans, we need to ensure that they are equipped with the ability to comprehend human behaviors and use the extracted knowledge for…
The manipulation of large objects and safe operation in the vicinity of humans are key capabilities of a general purpose domestic robotic assistant. We present the design of a soft, tactile-sensing humanoid upper-body robot and demonstrate…
As robotic products become more integrated into daily life, there is a greater need to understand authentic and real-world human-robot interactions to inform product design. Across many domestic, educational, and public settings, robots…
Navigation strategies that intentionally incorporate contact with humans (i.e. "contact-based" social navigation) in crowded environments are largely unexplored even though collision-free social navigation is a well studied problem.…
Many researchers have identified robotics as a potential solution to the aging population faced by many developed and developing countries. If so, how should we address the cognitive acceptance and ambient control of elderly assistive…
In this paper, we introduce the humanoid robot DRACO 3 by providing a high-level description of its design and control. This robot features proximal actuation and mechanical artifacts to provide a high range of hip, knee and ankle motion.…
Recent research efforts have yielded significant advancements in manipulating objects under homogeneous settings where the robot is required to either manipulate rigid or deformable (soft) objects. However, the manipulation under…
The role of robots is expanding from tool to collaborator. Socially assistive robots (SARs) are an example of collaborative robots that assist humans in the real world. As robots enter our social sphere, unforeseen risks occur during…
Robotic avatars promise immersive teleoperation with human-like manipulation and communication capabilities. We present such an avatar system, based on the key components of immersive 3D visualization and transparent force-feedback…
Humanoid robots have shown success in locomotion and manipulation. Despite these basic abilities, humanoids are still required to quickly understand human instructions and react based on human interaction signals to become valuable…
This paper presents the design, development, methodology, and the results of a pilot study on using an intelligent, emotive and perceptive social robot (aka Companionbot) for improving the quality of life of elderly people with dementia…
Age-related loss of mobility and increased risk of falling remain important obstacles toward facilitating aging-in-place. Many elderly people lack the coordination and strength necessary to perform common movements around their home, such…