Abstract
In this paper, we discuss how Cross Reality (XR) and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can support assembly tasks in hybrid human-machine manufacturing lines. We describe a Cross Reality system, designed to improve efficiency and ergonomics in industrial environments that require manual assembly operations. Our objective is to reduce the high costs of authoring assembly manuals and to improve the process of skills transfer, in particular, in assembly tasks that include workers with disabilities. The automation of short-lived assembly tasks, i.e., manufacturing of limited batches of customized products, does not yield significant returns considering the automation effort necessary and the production time frame. In the design of our XR system, we discuss how aspects of content creation can be automated for short-lived tasks and how seamless interoperability between devices facilitates skills transfer in human-machine hybrid environments.
Highlights
Manufacturing assembly lines are subject to continuous fluctuation in production demands such as customization and quantity [15]
Since immersive approaches for humanrobot interaction are new enough not to have an established baseline, our evaluation focuses on the following goals: (1) to assess the usability of our system, (2) to collect qualitative feedback on the design of the system, and (3) to record how people interact with the remote system via the provided user interface (UI)
We propose an authoring system that can quickly adapt to different assembly scenarios
Summary
Manufacturing assembly lines are subject to continuous fluctuation in production demands such as customization and quantity [15]. Humans are part of every engineered system and can increase competitiveness when integrated in manufacturing processes where the customization level and volume of production change in relatively short intervals. This is because humans can adapt to new manufacturing operations without disrupting the production environment. When human-machine system designs neglect specific features and qualities of human workers and presume their performance to be constant throughout the time, they can have a negative impact on worker’s wellbeing or overestimate their performance [21] Human factors such as repetitiveness of tasks, handling of heavy loads, fatigue, and static, awkward postures expose workers to ergonomic risks that adversely affect their performance
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