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Main Authors: Zuo, Chenhui, Xu, Jinhao, Vergnolle, Michael Qian, Sui, Yanan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.09218
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author Zuo, Chenhui
Xu, Jinhao
Vergnolle, Michael Qian
Sui, Yanan
author_facet Zuo, Chenhui
Xu, Jinhao
Vergnolle, Michael Qian
Sui, Yanan
contents Physical interactive robotics, ranging from wearable devices to collaborative humanoid robots, require close coordination between mechanical design and control. However, evaluating interactive dynamics is challenging due to complex human biomechanics and motor responses. Traditional experiments rely on indirect metrics without measuring human internal states, such as muscle forces or joint loads. To address this issue, we develop a scalable simulation-based framework for the quantitative analysis of physical human-robot interaction. At its core is a full-body musculoskeletal model serving as a predictive surrogate for the human dynamical system. Driven by a reinforcement learning controller, it generates adaptive, physiologically grounded motor behaviors. We employ a sequential training pipeline where the pre-trained human motion control policy acts as a consistent evaluator, making large-scale design space exploration computationally tractable. By simulating the coupled human-robot system, the framework provides access to internal biomechanical metrics, offering a systematic way to concurrently co-optimize a robot's structural parameters and control policy. We demonstrate its capability in optimizing human-exoskeleton interactions, showing improved joint alignment and reduced contact forces. This work establishes embodied human simulation as a scalable paradigm for interactive robotics design.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_09218
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Embodied Human Simulation for Quantitative Design and Analysis of Interactive Robotics
Zuo, Chenhui
Xu, Jinhao
Vergnolle, Michael Qian
Sui, Yanan
Robotics
Artificial Intelligence
Physical interactive robotics, ranging from wearable devices to collaborative humanoid robots, require close coordination between mechanical design and control. However, evaluating interactive dynamics is challenging due to complex human biomechanics and motor responses. Traditional experiments rely on indirect metrics without measuring human internal states, such as muscle forces or joint loads. To address this issue, we develop a scalable simulation-based framework for the quantitative analysis of physical human-robot interaction. At its core is a full-body musculoskeletal model serving as a predictive surrogate for the human dynamical system. Driven by a reinforcement learning controller, it generates adaptive, physiologically grounded motor behaviors. We employ a sequential training pipeline where the pre-trained human motion control policy acts as a consistent evaluator, making large-scale design space exploration computationally tractable. By simulating the coupled human-robot system, the framework provides access to internal biomechanical metrics, offering a systematic way to concurrently co-optimize a robot's structural parameters and control policy. We demonstrate its capability in optimizing human-exoskeleton interactions, showing improved joint alignment and reduced contact forces. This work establishes embodied human simulation as a scalable paradigm for interactive robotics design.
title Embodied Human Simulation for Quantitative Design and Analysis of Interactive Robotics
topic Robotics
Artificial Intelligence
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.09218