System and method for flexible human-machine collaboration

A system for e enhancing collaboration between a user and a robot using a tool, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory device storing computer-executable program instructions that, when executed by the processor, control the system to perform operations comprising:
• obtaining a robot capability, the robot capability modelling performance of a tool-related functionality of the robot;
• obtaining an information kernel of a tool operable by the robot, wherein:
• the information kernel provides a tool capability element to the robot that specializes the robot capability for the tool, and
• the information kernel includes one or more parameters of tool-related task actions;
• providing a robot capability element based on the information kernel, wherein:
• the robot capability element is configured to control the at least one tool-related functionality of the robot based on the one or more parameters of the tool-related task actions, and
• the robot capability element provides one or more user interaction requirements;
• obtaining one or more user interaction capability elements based on the one or more user interaction requirements, wherein:
• the tool capability element of the robot is configured to receive user inputs from the user, and
• the tool capability element of the robot is configured to provide feedback to the user via the one or more user interaction capability elements;
• receiving the user inputs from the user;
• controlling, based on the one more parameters of the tool-related task actions, the at least one tool-related functionality of the robot to perform the one or more tool-related task actions in collaboration with the user inputs;
• generating, by the tool capability element, tool-related information associated with the one or more tool-related task actions;
• and
• providing the feedback based on the tool-related information.