Human-centric production system simulation in mixed reality: An exemplary case of logistic facility design

Abstract

A production system with manual operations tends to suffer from variations in system performance induced by individual differences of human actions. To re-design the system under such uncertainty can be time-consuming without the support of advanced simulation tools. Hence, this research proposes a novel idea of production system simulation in mixed reality (MR) that facilitates production planning involving human operators. An exemplary case of logistic facility design demonstrates a MR-based planning tool implementing this idea. In this case, a manager and an operator, both wearing a HoloLens, simultaneously collaborate in a facility constructed by overlaying virtual equipment with existing one in real environment. The manager attempts to adjust the production parameters in the facility to reach a new target created by mixed-model production, while the operator accomplishes manual tasks related to material transportation and storage. The planning results show that the MR tool is advantageous over traditional simulation software in terms of planning quality and flexibility. This work validates the feasibility of MR as a new approach to realizing human-centric production system design.