Human-Robot Interaction

For humanoid robots to work alongside people, they must communicate naturally, understand social cues, and above all operate safely.

Natural Language Interfaces

Large language models have transformed how humans communicate with robots:

• Task grounding: Mapping natural language instructions ("clean up the kitchen") to executable robot actions
• Clarification: Asking follow-up questions when instructions are ambiguous ("which cup do you mean?")
• Progress reporting: Verbally updating humans on task status and any issues encountered
• Multi-turn dialogue: Maintaining conversational context across extended interactions

Gesture and Intent Recognition

Beyond speech, humanoid robots must understand non-verbal communication:

Safety Systems

Safety is the top priority when robots share space with humans:

1. Speed and Force Limiting

   Reduce joint speeds and maximum forces when humans are nearby. ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066 define safety thresholds.

2. Collision Detection

   Use joint torque sensors and skin sensors to detect unexpected contact and immediately reduce force or stop movement.

3. Safety Zones

   Define regions around the robot: a warning zone that triggers slow-down and a stop zone for immediate halt. Monitored via LIDAR or depth cameras.

4. Emergency Stop

   Hardware e-stop button that physically cuts power to actuators. Required by safety standards for any collaborative robot.

Collaborative Task Execution

Effective human-robot collaboration requires the robot to:

• Predict human actions: Anticipate what the human will do next to coordinate movements and avoid collisions
• Adapt pacing: Match the speed of the interaction to the human's pace and comfort level
• Handoffs: Smoothly give and receive objects, detecting when the human has a firm grip before releasing
• Role assignment: Dynamically decide who does what based on each agent's capabilities and position

Social Robotics

Humanoid robots in social settings (healthcare, education, hospitality) need additional capabilities:

• Emotion recognition: Detecting human emotional states from facial expressions, voice tone, and body language
• Expressive behavior: Using head tilts, arm gestures, and (if available) facial expressions to convey intent and empathy
• Personal space: Respecting proxemics - maintaining appropriate distance based on relationship and cultural norms
• Trust building: Behaving predictably, explaining actions, and gracefully handling errors to build user confidence