Humanoid path planning from HRI perspective: A scalable approach via waypoints with a time index

This paper proposes a path planner for a humanoid robot to enhance its performance in terms of the human-robot interaction perspective. From the human point of view, the proposed method uses the time index that can generate a path that humans feel to be natural. In terms of the robot, the proposed method yields a waypoint-based path, the simplicity of which enables accurate tracking even for humanoid robots with complex dynamics. From an environmental perspective through which interactions occur, the proposed method can be easily expanded to a wide area. Overall, the proposed method can be described as a scalable path planner via waypoints with a time index for humanoid robots. Experiments have been conducted in test beds where the robot encounters unexpected exceptional situations. Throughout these trials, the robot successfully reached the goal location while iteratively replanning the path.