Mobile robots can complete a task in collaboration with a human partner. In this letter, a hybrid shared control method for a mobile robot with omnidirectional wheels is proposed. A human partner uses a six-degree-of-freedom haptic device and an electromyography (EMG) signal sensor to control the mobile robot. A hybrid shared control approach based on EMG and artificial potential field is exploited to avoid obstacles based on the repulsive force and the attractive force and to improve human perception of the remote environment based on force feedback from the mobile platform. This shared control method allows the human partner to remotely control the movement of the mobile robot while avoiding obstacles. Compared with conventional shared control methods, this proposed method provides force feedback based on muscle activation and drives the human partners to update their control intention with predictability. Experimental results demonstrate the improved performance of the mobile robots compared to the literature methods.

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8931565

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