Authors

Fan Shao, Satoshi Endo, Sandra Hirche, Fanny Ficuciello

Abstract

Human collaboration with robots requires flexible role adaptation, enabling the robot to switch between an active leader and a passive follower. Effective role switching depends on accurately estimating human intentions, which is typically achieved through external force analysis, nominal robot dynamics, or data-driven approaches. However, these methods are primarily effective in contact-sparse environments. When robots under hybrid or unified force–impedance control physically interact with active humans or non-passive environments, the robotic system may lose passivity and thus compromise safety. To address this challenge, this letter proposes a unified Interactive Force-Impedance Control (IFIC) framework that adapts to interaction power flow, ensuring safe and effortless interaction in contact-rich environments. The proposed control architecture is formulated within a port-Hamiltonian framework, incorporating both interaction and task control ports, thereby guaranteeing autonomous system passivity. Experiments in both rigid and soft contact scenarios demonstrate that IFIC ensures stable collaboration under active human interaction, reduces contact impact forces and interaction force oscillations.

Citation

  • Journal: IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
  • Year: 2026
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue: 5
  • Pages: 6488–6495
  • Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
  • DOI: 10.1109/lra.2026.3681128

BibTeX

@article{Shao_2026,
  title={{Interactive Force-Impedance Control}},
  volume={11},
  ISSN={2377-3774},
  DOI={10.1109/lra.2026.3681128},
  number={5},
  journal={IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters},
  publisher={Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)},
  author={Shao, Fan and Endo, Satoshi and Hirche, Sandra and Ficuciello, Fanny},
  year={2026},
  pages={6488--6495}
}

Download the bib file

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