Gabor Sziebig

Purpose of Review: This paper provides an overview of the role of humans and robots in smart factories, their connection to Industry 4.0, and which progress they make when it comes to related technologies. Recent Findings: The current study shows that a decade was not enough to provide a reference implementation or application of Industry 4.0, like smart factories. In 2011, Industry 4.0 was mentioned for the first time in the scientific community. Industry 4.0 arrived with many new enabling technologies and buzzwords, e.g., Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), and Digital Twins (DT). Summary: This paper first defines smart factories and smart manufacturing in relation to the role of humans and robots. Followed by an overview of selected technologies in smart factories. Concluded by future prospects and its’ relation to smart manufacturing.

Task-sharing and Human-Robot Collaboration has gained increased attention with the widespread commissioning and usage of collaborative robots. However, recent studies show that the fenceless collaborative robots are not as harmless as they look like. In order to study Human-Robot Interaction scenarios, in a safe manner, we propose to execute the scenario in Virtual Reality simulation and afterwards implement it in real robotic applications (supervised from VR). In addition, this simulated world allows ad-hoc modifications and easy prototyping of different multi-modal communication forms. In this paper we propose an architecture for safe human-robot collaboration and describe a use-case: task of nut screwing, which is executed by the human and the robot together. The nut is hold by the human and the screw is screwed into the nut by the robot (as this part is the repetitive part of the task). The task can be executed in the VR simulation with different input and feedback channels (multi-modal) in order to identify the most efficient communication way between the human and the robot. The different input and output channels are presented in detail.

The current and most important request for industrial automation is from Small and Medium sized Enterprisess (SMEs). This is due to the fact that SMEs need to increase their competitiveness to withstand the trend of outsourcing to low cost countries. However, there are good examples of the strong competitiveness of European SMEs, when they are able to utilize industrial automation for repetitive work, while utilizing human labour for tasks requiring human skills, like sensing, flexibility and cognitive skills. The Intelligent Factory Space (IFS) concept represents a framework for interaction between human and an automated system (digital factory). The IFS is composed of multiple layers (representing different services for the human user) and many modular components, which can be extended to the users’ requirements. IFS relies on industrial standards to communicate with existing machines, while using novel two-way communication possibilities to feedback to the human user. In this paper the general concept for IFS is presented along with a reference implementation, where the concept is implemented in the situation of human-robot collaboration.

Collaborative Robots provide many possibilities, when it comes to Human-Robot Collaboration. Until now, these approaches are usually custom made, sensor-integrated solutions, where the robot's safety controller ensures the safety of the human worker. These solutions are according to today's rules and standards. We propose to extend these solutions with including Virtual Realty as a sensor and to provide comfort features to the operator. In order to create cooperation between human and industrial robot in our experiments, we propose to have a simple nut screwing operation as an example, where the industrial robot does the hard part. With sharing the task in such manner, we will ensure that the robot is doing the hard and monotonous work, while the worker benefits from the task sharing. Results are demonstrated through simulation and in reality also.

Digitalization is a source for Industrial Internet, which solutions influence businesses and everyday life in many different ways. The digital transformation calls for understanding, not only about your customers, but also your whole organization. A digital business world opens up for seamless and borderless collaborations in product, service and production development, yet such a visionary future need both systematic and systemic changes in companies. As such open innovation approaches including participatory research studies could support regional growth and increase competitiveness among SMEs. This article describes how these issues have been managed in a transnational project for the Northern Nordics.