Considerations for the Control Design of Augmentative Robots

TL;DR

This paper discusses principles and techniques for designing control systems in augmentative robots that balance autonomy and user empowerment, emphasizing transparency and integration with human operators.

Contribution

It introduces a framework of principles for control design in augmentative robots, highlighting the importance of partial agency, transparency, and embodiment.

Findings

Robotic systems should function as tools with partial agency.

Effective transparency enhances human-robot collaboration.

Design principles improve integration of robots as extensions of the human body.

Abstract

Robotic systems that are intended to augment human capabilities commonly require the use of semi-autonomous control and artificial sensing, while at the same time aiming to empower the user to make decisions and take actions. This work identifies principles and techniques from the literature that can help to resolve this apparent contradiction. It is postulated that augmentative robots must function as tools that have partial agency, as collaborative agents that provide conditional transparency, and ideally, serve as extensions of the human body.