A safety posture field framework for mobile manipulators based on human–robot interaction trend and platform-arm coupling motion

Abstract

Mobile manipulators are increasingly deployed in industrial settings, such as material handling and workpiece loading, where they must safely interact with humans while efficiently completing tasks. Existing motion planning methods for mobile manipulators often struggle to ensure both safety and efficiency in dynamic human-robot interaction environments. This paper proposes a Safety Posture Field framework that addresses these limitations by firstly predicting human motion trends using the improved Long Short-Term Memory neural network and applying these predictions to potential field calculations for both the mobile platform and the robotic arm. During different stages of human-robot interaction, the mobile manipulator places varying emphasis on safety and efficiency while in motion. Additionally, when the robotic arm executes operations, a platform-arm coupling motion strategy is introduced when the potential field detects risks of singularity or local optima, preventing the robotic arm from becoming unstable or failing to reach the target pose in time. This strategy enhances the system's flexibility and operational stability. Comparative experiments in simulation and real-world settings confirm the ability of the framework to maintain high safety standards while improving task efficiency, making it suitable for industrial Human-Robot Interaction applications.