Cross-Industry Standard Test Method Developments – from Manufacturing to Wearable Robots

Published

February 20, 2016

Author(s)

Roger V. Bostelman, Elena R. Messina, Sebti Foufou

Abstract

Manufacturing robotics are moving towards human-robot collaboration with light duty robots being used side-by-side with workers. Similarly, exoskeletons that are both passive (spring and counterbalance forces) and active (motor forces) are worn by humans and move body parts. Exoskeletons are also called wearable robots when they are actively controlled using a computer and integrated sensing. Safety standards now allow, through risk assessment, both manufacturing and wearable robots to be used. However, performance standards for both systems are still lacking. Research to develop standard test methods to assess performance of manufacturing robots and emergency response robots that is underway can inspire similar test methods for exoskeletons. This paper describes recent research on performance standards for manufacturing robots, as well as search and rescue robots. It also provides a discussion on how performance of wearable robots can benefit from using the same test methods.

Proceedings Title

ICWSR 2015: International Conference on Wearable Sensor and Robot Workshop

Conference Dates

October 16-18, 2015

Conference Location

Hangzhou, CN

Pub Type

Conferences

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1631/FITEE.1601316

Local Download

Keywords

wearable robot, exoskeleton, cross-industry, artifact, standards, grasping

Citation

Bostelman, R. , Messina, E. and Foufou, S. (2016), Cross-Industry Standard Test Method Developments – from Manufacturing to Wearable Robots, ICWSR 2015: International Conference on Wearable Sensor and Robot Workshop, Hangzhou, CN, [online], https://doi.org/10.1631/FITEE.1601316, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=919651 (Accessed October 14, 2025)