A Review of Powered Backdrivability of Robot Actuators for Human-Robot Interaction

To achieve effective and safe Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), much attention is paid on the backdrivability of robot actuators. According to the realization approaches, the backdrivability of actuators are classified into two categories, i.e., powered and unpowered backdrivabilities. This paper focuses on the powered backdrivability realized through controlling actuator reversely based on the sensor feedback. A thorough literature review is conducted to obtain an in-depth understanding about the research advances on powered backdrivability of actuators. The definition, classification and evaluation methods of the actuator backdrivability are discussed firstly. Powered backdrivabilities with force sensors and encoders are reviewed. The research direction of powered backdrivabilities is proposed based on the discussion.