One of the major challenges in the efforts to use robots for complex
assembly tasks is reducing the amount of time and resources needed for
programming the robots. In this direction, the SARAFun project has
been formed to enable a non-expert user to integrate a new bi-manual
assembly task on a robot in less than a day. Within the SARAFun
framework, an advanced human-robot interaction (HRI) interface that
allows teaching new assembly tasks to collaborative robotic systems
has been designed and developed. Using advanced perception and
simulation technologies, the interface provides the proper tools for
non-expert users to teach bi-manual robots new assembly tasks in a
short amount of time. An RGBD camera is used to allow the user to
demonstrate the task and the system extracts the necessary information
for the assembly to be simulated and performed by the robot, while the
user guides the process. The HRI interface is integrated with the ROS
framework and is built as a web application allowing operation through
portable devices, such as a tablet PC. The interface has been
evaluated with user experience ratings from test subjects that are
requested to teach a folding assembly task to the robot, where high
rates and low completion times have been reported.

Keywords: Human-Robot Interaction, HRI Web Interface, Teaching Robotic
Assembly, Robot Simulation