Multilateral manipulation by human-robot collaborative systems

Robot surgeons promise to save lives in remote communities, war zones, and disaster-stricken areas. A grant from the National Science Foundation will allow researchers to design the optimum workplace of the future.

This 4-year multi-campus research project seeks to emulate the expert-apprentice relationship using human beings and robots. It focuses on developing ways in which robots can learn from human activity in order to help humans by providing extra hands, eyes and brain power as necessary, enabling multilateral manipulation from multiple vantage points. The range of applications includes manufacturing and surgery.

Multilateral manipulation systems have the potential to improve healthcare, improve American competitiveness and product quality in manufacturing, and open the door to new service robot applications in the home.

Read more on the project website.

Credit: UCSC Bionics Lab, Raven IV

Wolfgang Heller

Wolfgang Heller