# Contact Anticipation for Physical Human-Robot Interaction with Robotic Manipulators using Onboard Proximity Sensors

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.11516 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.11516/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 21 Oct 2021.

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Unlocking the Performance of Proximity Sensors by Utilizing Transient Histograms](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.13473/) (2023)
- [Using a Distance Sensor to Detect Deviations in a Planar Surface](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.03838/) (2024)
- [Egocentric Tactile and Proximity Sensors as Observation Priors for Humanoid Collision Avoidance](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.25554/) (2026)
- [FCN-Pose: A Pruned and Quantized CNN for Robot Pose Estimation for Constrained Devices](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.13272/) (2022)
- [A Neuromorphic Approach to Obstacle Avoidance in Robot Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.05858/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In this paper, we present a framework that unites obstacle avoidance and deliberate physical interaction for robotic manipulators. As humans and robots begin to coexist in work and household environments, pure collision avoidance is insufficient, as human-robot contact is inevitable and, in some situations, desired. Our work enables manipulators to anticipate, detect, and act on contact. To achieve this, we allow limited deviation from the robot's original trajectory through velocity reduction and motion restrictions. Then, if contact occurs, a robot can detect it and maneuver based on a novel dynamic contact thresholding algorithm. The core contribution of this work is dynamic contact thresholding, which allows a manipulator with onboard proximity sensors to track nearby objects and reduce contact forces in anticipation of a collision. Our framework elicits natural behavior during physical human-robot interaction. We evaluate our system on a variety of scenarios using the Franka Emika Panda robot arm; collectively, our results demonstrate that our contribution is not only able to avoid and react on contact, but also anticipate it.