Proceedings of the XMO Industrial Seminar 2026: Excellence in Manufacturing and Operations
Keywords
Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC), Human-Skill Digitization. Force Sensitive Resistor (FSR), Industrial Automation
Tracks
INTEGRATION AND SYSTEMS
DOI
10.5703/1288284318684
Abstract
As human-robot collaboration becomes increasingly prevalent in modern industrial automation, optimizing mobile robot navigation to align with human spatial preferences is essential for efficient workflows. Conventional spatial tracking modalities, such as vision, LiDAR, and Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), face several limitations in factory environments due to visual occlusion, variable lighting, and accumulated signal drift. To overcome these environmental interferences, this paper proposes a scalable and versatile human footprint acquisition module based on a Force Sensitive Resistor (FSR) sensor array. This presented architecture utilizes a modular grid of FSR sensors integrated with embedded Microcontroller Units (MCUs) and Data Acquisition (DAQ) modules, enabling real-time, interference-free pressure tracking over expandable workspaces. The prototype system includes 32-channel FSR sensors in 4 x 8 array with an active sensing area of 50 x 50 mm per cell, transmitting footprint coordinates wirelessly via Bluetooth to a custom graphical user interface for real-time visualization and data logging. Operating at a 5 Hz sampling frequency, which provides sufficient resolution for standard human walking steps that typically occur at 1 to 2 Hz, the system effectively captures dynamic spatial movements of human workers. The proposed sensing platform successfully demonstrates a reliable, floor-based paradigm for digitizing human movements. The accumulated temporal and spatial footprint data provides a foundation for downstream robotic applications, advancing the practical deployment of worker-aware robotic systems in complex manufacturing environments.
Development of scalable FSR sensor array-based human footprint acquisition module for manufacturing automation
As human-robot collaboration becomes increasingly prevalent in modern industrial automation, optimizing mobile robot navigation to align with human spatial preferences is essential for efficient workflows. Conventional spatial tracking modalities, such as vision, LiDAR, and Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), face several limitations in factory environments due to visual occlusion, variable lighting, and accumulated signal drift. To overcome these environmental interferences, this paper proposes a scalable and versatile human footprint acquisition module based on a Force Sensitive Resistor (FSR) sensor array. This presented architecture utilizes a modular grid of FSR sensors integrated with embedded Microcontroller Units (MCUs) and Data Acquisition (DAQ) modules, enabling real-time, interference-free pressure tracking over expandable workspaces. The prototype system includes 32-channel FSR sensors in 4 x 8 array with an active sensing area of 50 x 50 mm per cell, transmitting footprint coordinates wirelessly via Bluetooth to a custom graphical user interface for real-time visualization and data logging. Operating at a 5 Hz sampling frequency, which provides sufficient resolution for standard human walking steps that typically occur at 1 to 2 Hz, the system effectively captures dynamic spatial movements of human workers. The proposed sensing platform successfully demonstrates a reliable, floor-based paradigm for digitizing human movements. The accumulated temporal and spatial footprint data provides a foundation for downstream robotic applications, advancing the practical deployment of worker-aware robotic systems in complex manufacturing environments.