Collision Avoidance with Task Constraints and Kinematic Limitations for Dual Arm Robots

Human-robot interaction (HRI) is a key element for diffusion of robotised production. Clear advantages in flexibility and productivity are possible, when the two operators are free to interact, as they are endowed with complementary skills. To achieve such a goal, safety systems capable of coping with task and robot constraints have to be designed. In this paper, a collision avoidance strategy, tackling consistency with task constraints and robot kinematic limitations, is proposed. Robot joint velocities are selected with a QP optimisation problem, minimising the difference from evasive velocities, while respecting task constraints. Integration with an industrial controller is discussed as well, while the strategy is experimentally validated on a dual arm industrial robot prototype, working in close interaction with a human.