Motion synchronization in human-robot co-transport without force sensing

In this paper, a human-robot co-transport system is studied where an object is transported from one position to a target position with two control inputs from a human and a robot. Motion synchronization is achieved when the human and the robot’s motion intentions are identical. The human partner’s motion intention is estimated based on his/her control input to the system, while his/her control input is estimated by developing an observer. The proposed method enables the robot to collaborate with its human partner efficiently and it does not require the force sensing at the interaction point. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the feasibility and advantages of the proposed method.