MORPHA: Communication and interaction with intelligent, anthropomorphic robot assistants

Robot systems, which are employed outside traditional manufacturing applications, so-called service robots or robot assistants, have by far not reached the economic potential of industrial robots yet. There are several factors, which explain this circumstance. Operating robots in unmodified natural environments inhabited by human beings imposes requirements on the robots, which are incomparably higher than the demands made on the capabilities of industrial robots. These requirements concern the robots sensory perception capabilities, their mobility and dexterity, and their task planning, reasoning and decision making capabilities. The technology available today meets these demands only to a very limited extend. A limiting factor is also the lack of interfaces, which allow a human-friendly, intuitive, and versatile communication and interaction with the robots. Such interfaces are essential for efficiently programming and instructing the robots, which is in turn a prerequisite for an effective and flexible use of robot assistants. To develop human machine interfaces, which allow a human-friendly, intuitive communication and interaction with robot assistants is the goal of the Leitprojekt MORPHA.