A review of advances in underwater humanoid robots for human–machine cooperation

Abstract

Underwater humanoid robots (UHRs) have emerged as a significant area of interest in robotics, with the potential to overcome the limitations of traditional underwater robots and revolutionize underwater activities. This review examines the development of UHRs, focusing on their perception, decision-making, and execution capabilities within a hierarchical human-machine cooperation framework. The Perception Layer involves gathering information from the environment and human collaborators. The Decision-making Layer explores different levels of robot autonomy and the current status of human-UHR collaborative decision-making. The Execution Layer encompasses modeling, control, and actuation mechanisms to translate high-level intentions into physical actions. Various UHR implementations across research teams are reviewed to provide a comprehensive overview of current advancements. Discussions and challenges surrounding UHR progress are provided as well. Continued research and development efforts of UHR represent a promising avenue for advancing human-machine cooperation and pushing the boundaries of underwater exploration, contributing to scientific discoveries and societal benefits in this captivating realm.