Considerations for the Control Design of Augmentative Robots

Abstract: Robotic systems that are intended to augment human capabilities commonly require the use of semi-autonomous control and artificial sensing, while at the same time aiming to empower the user to make decisions and take actions. This work identifies principles and techniques from the literature that can help to resolve this apparent contradiction. It is postulated that augmentative robots must function as tools that have partial agency, as collaborative agents that provide conditional transparency, and ideally, serve as extensions of the human body.