Human-Robot Interaction Dynamics-Based Impedance Control Strategy for Enhancing Social Acceptance of Human-Following Robot

Human-following robots have gained widespread attention in diverse domains, such as manufacturing, health-care, and personal companionship. However, it is essential to respect the social zones of the target person to avoid causing psychological discomfort when robots coexist and collaborate with humans. In this study, we propose a novel human-robot interaction dynamics-based impedance control strategy to accomplish the human-following task while ensuring that the robot refrains from encroaching upon the intimate zone of the target person. Initially, a human-robot interaction dynamics model is developed to capture the social repulsion between the robot and the target person. Subsequently, an impedance controller is designed to dynamically regulate the robot motion and the virtual interaction force with the target person. Furthermore, behavioral dynamics is integrated into the impedance controller for obstacle avoidance. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method in this study, showcasing that the robot can successfully achieve human following and obstacle avoidance without encroaching on the intimate zone of the target person.