User­centred design in industrial collaborative automated systems

Abstract

Autonomous systems and collaborative robotics are part of the pillar technologies of the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) paradigm. These include advanced simulations, Digital Twins (DTs) and novel Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs). The increasing development of these technologies together with the higher requirements for customized production processes demands a closer collaboration between operators and automated systems. This leads to a redefinition of how human operators manage and interact with machines and how they are supported in this by adaptable interfaces, simulations and real-time data collection and analysis. New Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) paradigms are paramount in a scenario where the boundaries between human and machine performed tasks are flexible and increasingly dematerialized. The redefinition of standards, design methods, programming interfaces and assessment techniques is central to facilitate these technological and production changes. The augmentation of human capabilities in the workplace insists on a definition of a framework of requirements that would integrate human, organizational and production needs in the same scenario and workflow. This research proposes a User-Centred Design (UCD) approach which is crucial in addressing the open challenges of HRC systems. Our work regards the DT as well as Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) technologies as central in this process by considering them key tools for the design, control, and assessment of modern collaborative industrial scenarios.