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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Robot. AI
Sec. Human-Robot Interaction
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/frobt.2024.1248646

SOCIALLY ADAPTIVE COGNITIVE ARCHITECTURE FOR HUMAN-ROBOT COLLABORATION IN INDUSTRIAL SETTINGS Provisionally Accepted

 Ismael T. Freire1*  Oscar Guerrero-Rosado1* Adrián F. Amil1 Paul F. Verschure1*
  • 1Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Netherlands

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This paper introduces DAC-HRC, a novel cognitive architecture designed to optimize human-robot collaboration (HRC) in industrial settings, particularly within the context of Industry 4.0. The architecture is grounded in the Distributed Adaptive Control theory and the principles of joint intentionality and interdependence, which are key to effective HRC. Joint intentionality refers to the shared goals and mutual understanding between a human and a robot, while interdependence emphasizes the reliance on each other's capabilities to complete tasks. DAC-HRC is applied to a hybrid recycling plant for the disassembly and recycling of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) devices. The architecture incorporates several cognitive modules operating at different timescales and abstraction levels, fostering adaptive collaboration that is personalized to each human user. The effectiveness of DAC-HRC is demonstrated through several pilot studies, showcasing functionalities such as turn-taking interaction, personalized error-handling mechanisms, adaptive safety measures, and gesture-based communication. These features enhance human-robot collaboration in the recycling plant by promoting real-time robot adaptation to human needs and preferences. The DAC-HRC architecture aims to contribute to the development of a new HRC paradigm by paving the way for more seamless and efficient collaboration in Industry 4.0 by relying on socially adept cognitive architectures.

Keywords: Cognitive Architecture, social robotics, Human-robot collaboration, Industry 4.0, Distributed adaptive control

Received: 27 Jun 2023; Accepted: 14 May 2024.

Copyright: © 2024 Freire, Guerrero-Rosado, Amil and Verschure. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Mr. Ismael T. Freire, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Mr. Oscar Guerrero-Rosado, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Prof. Paul F. Verschure, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands