Hybrid IMU/muscle Signals Powered Teleoperation Control of Serial Manipulator Incorporating Passivity Adaptation

Abstract

With the widespread application of robots, Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) is an essential aspect in our daily lives. Especially when there is a great requirement of natural and simple control interface for intuitive controls. However, it is inevitable that the robot will interfere with the external environment while controlling the robot. In this paper, a hybrid IMU/muscle teleoperation control method for a serial manipulator is proposed to control the robot adaptation to the external environment in a safer way. The serial manipulator can be controlled by the proposed interface in real-time, applying forearm-motion estimates based on a hybrid of IMU and EMG signals. Moreover, in the process of HRI, safety can be enhanced by passivity control. To show its effectiveness, the interface is demonstrated in real-time experiments, including obstacle experiment.