Easy-to-use collaborative robotics solutions, where human workers and robots share their skills, are entering the market, thus becoming the new frontier in industrial robotics. They allow to combine ...the advantages of robots, which enjoy high levels of accuracy, speed and repeatability, with the flexibility and cognitive skills of human workers. However, to achieve an efficient human–robot collaboration, several challenges need to be tackled. First, a safe interaction must be guaranteed to prevent harming humans having a direct contact with the moving robot. Additionally, to take full advantage of human skills, it is important that intuitive user interfaces are properly designed, so that human operators can easily program and interact with the robot. In this survey paper, an extensive review on human–robot collaboration in industrial environment is provided, with specific focus on issues related to physical and cognitive interaction. The commercially available solutions are also presented and the main industrial applications where collaborative robotic is advantageous are discussed, highlighting how collaborative solutions are intended to improve the efficiency of the system and which the open issue are.
In this study, we have compared Germany's “Industry 4.0” and China's “Made-in-China 2025” and estimated China's locus in “Made-in-China 2025”. “Made-in-China 2025” has clear goals, measures and ...sector focus. Its guiding principles are to enhance industrial capability through innovation-driven manufacturing, optimize the structure of Chinese industry, emphasize quality over quantity, train and attract talent, and achieve green manufacturing and environment. Data show that currently China is no longer the lowest–cost labor market; it is being squeezed by newly emerging low-cost producers such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Meanwhile, China is not the strongest player in the high-tech arena; well-established industrialized nations, the US, Germany, and Japan, have all effectively deployed digital technology to create new industrial environments, produce new products, and improve their well-established brands. Having analyzed the data from the World Bank and China's National Bureau of Statistics, we find an upward trajectory in China in manufacturing capability development, research and development commitment, and human capital investment. However, implementing an ambitious strategic plan such as “Made-in-China 2025” is coupled with challenges. This research helps us understand the relationship between technological entrepreneurship and socio-economic changes in emerging economies such as China. Furthermore, the experience accumulated in China can be referenced by both emerging economies and developed nations to advance their technological entrepreneurship.
•A comparison of China's “Made-in-China 2025” plan and German's “Industry 4.0” plan•Three critical factors that affect the implementation of “Made-in-China 2025” plan•Challenges that are coupled with the ambitious strategic plan.
The operation of mobile manipulators in a collaborative environment needs to be adapted to the characteristics and skills of human operators. Human activity recognition, utilizing wearable sensors ...and vision systems, could be used to fine tune the performance of the mobile manipulator so that human operators be better assisted. The goal is to develop a sense of safety and trust between the human and the manipulator in order to improve the ergonomics of the operator within the collaborative workspace. This paper reviews the technologies that can be used for activity tracking together with gait recognition as a biometric tool. These technologies could potentially allow the mobile robotic manipulator to dynamically adapt to the motion, skills, and intentions of the human operator and to the requirements of the task in action. This paper also proposes an idea of combining a gait recognition model and activity tracking towards improving the performance of mobile collaborative robots.
•Research in human–robot safety topics is more developed than in ergonomics.•There is a higher development in safety prevention aspects instead in protection.•All main research topics are increasing ...(on average) during the studied period.•Physical and cognitive ergonomics is growing significantly in the last two years.•Future developments should focus on the alignment of safety and ergonomics.
Human–robot collaboration is a main technology of Industry 4.0 and is currently changing the shop floor of manufacturing companies. Collaborative robots are innovative industrial technologies introduced to help operators to perform manual activities in so called cyber-physical production systems and combine human inimitable abilities with smart machines strengths. Occupational health and safety criteria are of crucial importance in the implementation of collaborative robotics. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the state of the art for the design of safe and ergonomic collaborative robotic workcells. Emerging research fields beyond the state of the art are also of special interest. To achieve this goal this paper uses a systematic literature review methodology to review recent technical scientific bibliography and to identify current and future research fields. Main research themes addressed in the recent scientific literature regarding safety and ergonomics (or human factors) for industrial collaborative robotics were identified and categorized. The emerging research challenges and research fields were identified and analyzed based on the development of publications over time (annual growth).
Robotic systems are one of the core technologies that will shape our future. Robots already change our private and professional life by working together with humans in various domains. Evoked by this ...increasing trend, great variability exists in terms of robots and interaction scenarios. This has boosted research regarding shaping factors of human–robot interaction (HRI). Nevertheless, this variety hinders the comparability and the generalizability of insights. What is needed for efficient research is a structured approach that allows the analysis of superordinate attributes, making previous HRI research comparable, revealing research gaps and thus guiding future research activities. Based on the review of previous HRI frameworks we developed a new HRI taxonomy that (1) takes into account the human, the robot, the interaction and the context of the HRI, (2) is applicable to various HRI scenarios and (3) provides predefined categories to enable structured comparisons of different HRI scenarios. A graphical representation of the taxonomy, including all possible classifications, eases the application to specific HRI scenarios. To demonstrate the use and value of this taxonomy, it is applied to different studies in HRI in order to identify possible reasons for contrasting results. The exemplified applications of the taxonomy underline its value as a basis for reviews and meta-analyses. Moreover, the taxonomy offers a framework for future HRI research as it offers guidance for systematic variations of distinctive variables in HRI.
In this review we address the human in human robot collaboration (HRC). Although there are different hypotheses on potential effects of HRC on job quality, defined as the quality of the working ...environment and its effect on the employee's well-being, a comprehensive theory is still lacking. How does HRC influence job quality on an individual level and how can we adapt HRC to boost positivity at work? We identified four job quality related factors that are of relevance in HRC: (1) Cognitive Workload, (2) Collaboration Fluency, (3) Trust, and (4) Acceptance and Satisfaction. Increasing awareness and being able to adapt the robot to the individual operator are crucial to improve the aforementioned factors. Implementing predictable robots, that offer a clear advantage to the human and take into account operators' preferences, will bring us closer to a human-centered collaboration.
Practitioner Summary: The effect of human robot collaboration (HRC) on job quality is still under debate. Design characteristics of HRC, such as collaboration design, robot design, and workplace design affect job quality related factors. Using a participatory design approach, as to align robot capabilities to end-users' preferences, will enhance HRC and improve job quality.
Abbreviations: HRC: human robot collaboration; OECD: organisation for economic co-operation and development
Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) is a form of direct interaction between humans and robots. The objective of this type of interaction is to perform a task by combining the skills of both humans and ...robots. HRC is characterized by several aspects, related both to robots and humans. Many works have focused on the study of specific aspects related to HRC, e.g., safety, task organization. However, a major issue is to find a general framework to evaluate the collaboration between humans and robots considering all the aspects of the interaction. The goals of this paper are the following: (i) highlighting the different latent dimensions that characterize the HRC problem and (ii) constructing a conceptual framework to evaluate and compare different HRC configuration profiles. The description of the methodology is supported by some practical examples.
Human–robot collaboration is a key factor for the development of factories of the future, a space in which humans and robots can work and carry out tasks together. Safety is one of the most critical ...aspects in this collaborative human–robot paradigm. This article describes the experiments done and results achieved by the authors in the context of the FourByThree project, aiming to measure the trust of workers on fenceless human–robot collaboration in industrial robotic applications as well as to gauge the acceptance of different interaction mechanisms between robots and human beings.
•HRC workstation completely human-centered promotes health, safety and sustainability.•Safety and ergonomics principles should be considered in the HRC design.•Implementation of HRC in manufacturing ...implies a multidisciplinary research approach.•Future research should support decision-makers about HRC implementation.
In the pursuit of increasing efficiency, productivity and flexibility at production lines and their corresponding workstations, manufacturing companies have started to heavily invest in “collaborative workspaces” where close interaction between humans and robots promises to lead to these goals that neither can achieve on their own. Therefore, it is necessary to know the contributions, recommendations and guidelines that literature presents in terms of designing a manufacturing workplace where humans and cobots interact with each other to accomplish the defined objectives. These aspects need to be explored in an integrated and multidisciplinary way to maximize human involvement in the decision chain and to promote wellbeing and quality of work. This paper presents a systematic literature review on designing human-robot collaboration (HRC) workspaces for humans and robots in industrial settings. The study involved 252 articles in international journals and conferences proceedings published till 2019. A detailed selection process led to including 65 articles to further analysis. A framework that represents the complexity levels of the influencing factors presented in human-robot interaction (HRI) contexts was developed for the content analysis. Based on this framework the guidelines and recommendations of the analysed articles are presented in three categories: Category 1 – the first level of complexity, which considers only one specific influencing factor in the HRI. This category was split into two: human operator, and technology; Category 2 – the second level of complexity, includes recommendations and guidelines related to human-robot team’s performance, and thus several influencing factors are present in the HRI; and, finally, Category 3 – the third level of complexity, where recommendations and guidelines for more complex and holistic approaches in the HRI are presented. The literature offers contributions from several knowledge areas capable to design safe, ergonomic, sustainable, and healthy human-centred workplaces where not only technical but also social and psychophysical aspects of collaboration are considered.
Collaborative robots (cobots) are important accelerators of industrial growth. Their potential is undisputed, yet cobot adoption remains low. Safety is one of the factors that influence cobot ...adoption. This paper examines safety in particular as an adoption factor and argues that the system-wide nature of safety for cobots results in a paradoxical tension. This tension leads to confusing and conflicting signals to practitioners contributing to the low adoption rate of cobots. Suggestions to lessen this tension and lower safety as a barrier for adoption are proposed. This paper helps to better understand the comprehensive role of safety in collaborative robotics.
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