SLAM-based multistate tracking system for mobile human-robot interaction

Abstract

The transfer from the utilization of simple robots for specifically predefined tasks to the integration of generalized autonomous systems poses a number of challenges for the collaboration between humans and robots. These include the independent orientation of robots in unknown environments and the intuitive interaction with human cooperation partners. We present a robust human-robot interaction (HRI) system that proactively searches for interaction partners and follows them in unknown real environments. For this purpose, an algorithm for simultaneous localization and mapping of the environment is integrated along with a dynamic system for determination of the partner’s willingness and the tracking of the partner’s localization. Interruptions of interactions are recovered by a separate recovery mode that is able to identify prior collaboration partners.