A multi-touch interface for multi-robot path planning and control

In the last few years, research in human-robot interaction has moved beyond the issues concerning the design of the interaction between a person and a single robot. Today many researchers have shifted their focus toward the problem of how humans can control a multi-robot team. The rising of multi-touch devices provides a new range of opportunities in this sense. Our research seeks to discover new insights and guidelines for the design of multi-touch interfaces for the control of biologically inspired multi-robot teams. We have developed an iPad touch interface that lets users exert partial control over a set of autonomous robots. The interface also serves as an experimental platform to study how human operators design multi-robot motion in a pursuit-evasion setting

Experiments in cooperative human multi-robot navigation

In this paper, we consider the problem of a group of autonomous mobile robots and a human moving coordinately in a real-world implementation. The group moves throughout a dynamic and unstructured environment. The key problem to be solved is the inclusion of a human in a real multi-robot system and consequently the multiple robot motion coordination. We present a set of performance metrics (system efficiency and percentage of time in formation) and a novel flexible formation definition whereby a formation control strategy both in simulation and in real-world experiments of a human multi-robot system is presented. The formation control proposed is stable and effective by means of its uniform dispersion, cohesion and flexibility

Escape from the factory of the robot monsters: agents of change

Purpose: The increasing use of robotics within modern factories and workplaces not only sees us becoming more dependent on this technology but it also introduces innovative ways by which humans interact with complex systems. As agent-based systems become more integrated into work environments, the traditional human team becomes more integrated with agent-based automation and, in some cases, autonomous behaviours. This paper discusses these interactions in terms of team composition and how a human-agent collective can share goals via the delegation of authority between human and agent team members. Design/methodology/approach: This paper highlights the increasing integration of robotics in everyday life and examines the nature of how new novel teams may be constructed with the use of intelligent systems and autonomous agents. Findings: Areas of human factors and human-computer interaction are used to discuss the benefits and limitations of human-agent teams. Research limitations/implications: There is little research in (human–robot) (H–R) teamwork, especially from a human factors perspective. Practical implications: Advancing the author’s understanding of the H–R team (and associated intelligent agent systems) will assist in the integration of such systems in everyday practices. Social implications: H–R teams hold a great deal of social and organisational issues that need further exploring. Only through understanding this context can advanced systems be fully realised. Originality/value: This paper is multidisciplinary, drawing on areas of psychology, computer science, robotics and human–computer Interaction. Specific attention is given to an emerging field of autonomous software agents that are growing in use. This paper discusses the uniqueness of the human-agent teaming that results when human and agent members share a common goal within a team

Post-Westgate SWAT : C4ISTAR Architectural Framework for Autonomous Network Integrated Multifaceted Warfighting Solutions Version 1.0 : A Peer-Reviewed Monograph

Police SWAT teams and Military Special Forces face mounting pressure and challenges from adversaries that can only be resolved by way of ever more sophisticated inputs into tactical operations. Lethal Autonomy provides constrained military/security forces with a viable option, but only if implementation has got proper empirically supported foundations. Autonomous weapon systems can be designed and developed to conduct ground, air and naval operations. This monograph offers some insights into the challenges of developing legal, reliable and ethical forms of autonomous weapons, that address the gap between Police or Law Enforcement and Military operations that is growing exponentially small. National adversaries are today in many instances hybrid threats, that manifest criminal and military traits, these often require deployment of hybrid-capability autonomous weapons imbued with the capability to taken on both Military and/or Security objectives. The Westgate Terrorist Attack of 21st September 2013 in the Westlands suburb of Nairobi, Kenya is a very clear manifestation of the hybrid combat scenario that required military response and police investigations against a fighting cell of the Somalia based globally networked Al Shabaab terrorist group.Comment: 52 pages, 6 Figures, over 40 references, reviewed by a reade

What Factors Will Transform the Contemporary Work Environment and Characterize the Future of Work?

There is an overwhelming consensus among researchers that the contemporary work environment is transforming at a rapid pace. Advanced technology, increasing globalization, and the influx of a new generation of workers are all factors that will change the structures that govern the contemporary workplace. To prepare for the future of work, an organization must comprehend the manner in which each of these factors will engender changes in the evaluation of skillsets, the employer value proposition, and the available labor force

Towards a socio cognitive perspective of presenteeism, leadership and the rise of robotic Interventions in the workplace

This thesis intends to investigate the relationship between the presenteeism phenomenon and the leadership construct, by analyzing a new concept in the literature, leadership presenteeism. Second, it explores robotic leadership and the impact of human-leadership styles in teams headed by social robots. Third, it investigates the role of robots as health-promoting agents within workplaces, contributing to workers’ improvements in a set of organizational variables. The thesis includes seven empirical studies, divided in four papers. Paper 1 findings suggest that individuals perceive themselves as less productive when they work with a leader with a psychological or contagious illness. Paper 2 reveals that robots can properly perform leadership roles while leading human teams, and achieve the same organizational outcomes as human leaders. Moreover, robots performing both transformational and transactional leadership styles can impact positively different organizational outcomes. In paper 3 a robot was used as a health behavior promoting agent in a single-arm intervention, with two assessment points in time. Results showed that the intervention with the robot enabled to improve a set of psychological health behavior constructs. Finally, paper 4 aimed to compare the health behavior change intervention between two groups: one guided by a robotic agent and the other by a human agent. Results showed that the intervention with the robot agent was associated with improvements in individuals’ productivity despite presenteeism and well-being levels. This thesis contributes to the understanding of the relationship between presenteeism and leadership constructs, while seeks also to contribute and extend SCT and HAPA theoretical framework.A presente tese pretende analisar a relação entre o fenómeno do presentismo e o construto de liderança, através da análise de um novo conceito na literatura, a liderança de presentismo. Em segundo lugar, explora a liderança robótica e o impacto dos estilos de liderança humana em equipas lideradas por robôs. Terceiro, investiga o papel dos robôs como agentes promotores da saúde nos locais de trabalho, contribuindo para a melhoria de um conjunto de variáveis organizacionais. A tese inclui sete estudos empíricos, divididos em quatro artigos. Os resultados do artigo 1 sugerem que os indivíduos se consideram menos produtivos quando trabalham com um líder com uma doença psicológica ou contagiosa. O artigo 2 revela que os robôs podem desempenhar corretamente papéis de liderança em equipas humanas, alcançando os mesmos resultados organizacionais que os líderes humanos. Além disso, os robôs podem desempenhar tanto estilos de liderança transformacional como transacional, com impactos positivos em diversos resultados organizacionais. No artigo 3 foi utilizado um robô como agente promotor de comportamentos de saúde. Os resultados mostraram que a intervenção permitiu melhorar um conjunto de variáveis ligadas a comportamentos psicológicos de saúde. Finalmente, o artigo 4 visou comparar a mesma intervenção entre dois grupos: um guiado por um agente robótico e o outro por um agente humano. Os resultados mostraram que a intervenção com o agente robô esteve associada a melhorias na produtividade dos indivíduos e nos respetivos níveis de bem-estar. Esta tese contribui para a compreensão da relação entre o presentismo e a liderança, ao mesmo tempo que procura também contribuir e alargar o quadro teórico da SCT e do modelo HAPA