IMPROVING HUMAN AWARENESS DURING COLLABORATION WITH ROBOT: REVIEW

Human-robot collaboration is a widespread topic within the concept of Industry 4.0. Such collaboration brings new opportunities to improve ergonomics and innovative options for manufacturing automation; however, most of the modern collaborative industrial applications are limited by the fact that neither collaborative side is fully aware of the partner: the human operator may not see the robot movement due to own engagement in the work process, and the collaborative robot simply has no means of knowing the position of the operator. Dynamic replanning of the robot trajectory with respect to the operator's current position can increase the efficiency and safety of cooperation since the robot will be able to avoid collisions and proceed in task completion; however, the other side of communication remains unresolved. This paper provides a review of methods of improving human awareness during collaboration with a robot. Covered techniques include graphical, acoustic and haptic feedback implementations. The work is focused on the practical applicability of the approaches, and analyses present challenges associated with each method.

CARES research: product and process digitalization for design and manufacturing of prefabricated cardboard panels

Building prefabrication is facing the challenge to reduce the life-cycle impact of construction, enhance material circularity, and increase the quality of building products and processes. The paper presents the first phase of the research CARES - CArdboard RElocatable School developed with the Italian brand Archicart by Area S.r.l with the aim to prototype a temporary school unit. The work presented is focused on the industrialization of a prefabricated building technology based on the use of cardboard panels (PACOTECTM Stre-Wall panels). Cardboard is a circular and environmentally sustainable material but currently the design and manufacturing process lacks digital integration, resulting in poor quality control, limited adaptability, and lack of material optimization. To address sustainability goals, the work implemented a “file-to-factory” approach to redesign the design-manufacturing process of prefabricated cardboard panels, integrating industry 4.0 paradigms in manufacturing (automation, high-precision manufacturing) and the use of BIM tools for design to achieve better product-process quality and predictability. The redesigned workflow allows achieving sustainability goals, such as reduction of errors, reduction of material wastes, cost and time predictability, product customization, and adaptability. The workflow will be verified and tested in the design and manufacturing of prefabricated cardboard panels to build a temporary school unit.

Towards the realization of dynamically adaptable manufacturing automation systems

The transition from traditional to truly smart dynamically adaptable manufacturing demands the adoption of a high degree of autonomy within automation systems, with resultant changes in the role of the human, in both the manufacturing and logistics functions within the factory. In the context of smart manufacturing, this paper describes research towards the realization of adaptable autonomous automation systems from both the control and information perspectives. Key facets of the approach taken at WMG are described in relation to human–machine interaction, autonomous approaches to assembly and intra-logistics, integration and dynamic system-wide optimization. The progression from simple distributed behavioural components towards autonomous functional entities is described. Effective systems integration and the importance of interoperability in the realization of more distributed and autonomous automation systems are discussed, so that operational information can propagate seamlessly, eliminating the traditional boundary between operational technology and information technology systems, and as an enabler for global knowledge collection, analysis and optimization. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Towards symbiotic autonomous systems'.

Challenges and opportunities in human robot collaboration context of Industry 4.0 - a state of the art review

Purpose In the present era of Industry 4.0, the manufacturing automation is moving toward mass production and mass customization through human–robot collaboration. The purpose of this paper is to describe various human–robot collaborative (HRC) techniques and their applicability for various manufacturing methods along with key challenges. Design/methodology/approach Numerous recent relevant research literature has been analyzed, and various human–robot interaction methods have been identified, and detailed discussions are made on one- and two-way human–robot collaboration. Findings The challenges in implementing human–robot collaboration for various manufacturing process and the challenges in one- and two-way collaboration between human and robot are found and discussed. Originality/value The authors have attempted to classify the HRC techniques and demonstrated the challenges in different modes.