Context-dependent multimodal communication in human-robot collaboration

Abstract

In the dynamic environment of human-robot collaboration, a key for boosting the efficiency of human workers is supporting them with context-dependent work instructions, delivered via communication modalities that suit the actual context. Workers, in turn, should be supported in controlling the robot or other components of the production system by using the most convenient modality, thus lifting the limitations of traditional interfaces as push buttons installed at fixed locations. We introduce a workflow for context-dependent multimodal communication in a collaborative work environment and present its implementation in a Human-Machine Interface Controller system.