The Japanese manufacturing industry is now developing global production by establishing production sites in various countries. High quality assurance is regarded as the strong point of manufacturing in Japan (Abegglen, 1958). However, this situation is under threat (Hunt, 1992). The authors consider it vital to make production operators more independent and creative in addition to their engineering capabilities and skills so as to become an intelligence operator. In view of the need to develop a new, creative, human-oriented production system for meaningful working, the authors propose the human-integrated assist system for creative, meaningful work leading to improved productivity. It supports autonomous development of kaizen as the core of this system for the global production strategy. In the wake of the recent rapid expansion of globalization, shortterm training of production operators is an especially critical issue, particularly for ensuring productivity at the start up of local production. To deal with this issue, it is urgent to apply this system to analyze the factors that contribute to the variations in the skill acquisition level of local operators. This is done with a view to establishing a training method that can support them to stably perform work despite the differences in their ability. In definite terms, a brand-new tool, the visual manual, is characterized by (1) convenience, (2) accumulation of know-how, and (3) utilization of CAD and CAE data for further development of advanced skills for intelligence operators. Given these circumstances, the authors have created a new intelligent IT system, which incorporates a training curriculum adjusted to the skill acquisition level of each operator, thereby bringing the training program to a higher level. During the course of implementation, the authors also adopted an aptitude test for assessing the aptitude and inaptitude of operators. This was designed for the establishment of an efficient training system. Its effectiveness has been tested at the Toyota Motor Corporation, a leading automotive manufacturer, as a system that brings about autonomous, voluntary skill improvement in intelligence operators.
LAPKaans: Tool-Motion Tracking and Gripping Force-Sensing Modular Smart Laparoscopic Training System