Impact of Active vs. Passive Robot Behavior on Task Efficiency in Collaborative Physical HRI

Advancements in physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI) aim to achieve natural and efficient collaboration between humans and robots, especially in dynamic environments where task performance is essential. This study focuses on co-manipulative human-robot joint activities, exploring key components of performance and synchronization. The primary objective was to design an active control technique for the iCub robot's arms that enhances task efficiency with a distinct approach than traditional force feedback controls. Comparing an iCub's passive behavior with the designed active one has registered an increase in its contribution, given through adaptive velocity and mimicry, and showcasing its ability to respond dynamically to changes in human actions. Furthermore, a measurement of the exertion applied by the counterparts revealed that the active behavior required greater energy consumption to reach those levels of synchronization and performance. These results highlight the implications of balancing active behavior with effort intensity to achieve task efficiency in pHRIs.