Outline of an Industry 4.0 Awareness Game

Abstract

Abstract The introduction of Industry 4.0 brought a demand outside the academic world for understanding the Industry 4.0 principles and how they will influence the industry and education domain. Aalborg University has developed an Industry 4.0 Awareness Game to address the new paradigm and rapidly emerging technologies. The game is based on the Aalborg University learning factory, AAU Smart Production Lab. The game is an introduction to Industry 4.0 where the participants gain knowledge about the driving technologies and new qualifications. The scope of the game is to provide a platform where the participants will produce the right product at the right time. The participants, who are non-experts and may have different educational backgrounds were divided into six roles/departments: Operator, Production Managers, Logistics, Circular Economy, Service Technician, and Game Observer. Role cards, given to each group, at the beginning of the game, stating the responsible areas and the task descriptions. By introducing new Industry 4.0 technologies, by a deck of game cards, continually in the game, e.g., collaborate robots, data mining, analysis tools, and reconfiguring manufacturing systems, the participants gain first-hand experience on how these technologies influence the production but also on the impact of needed qualifications and management of the production. The game cards may introduce disruptions, e.g., errors of process or conveyors, to create awareness of a weakness in the production and how vital adaptability is in the production. The game received favorable reviews from both participants from the industry and the education domain. Through the experience in the AAU Smart Production lab, the participants gain an understanding of the complexity of a holistic approach. They gain awareness and get inspired on the various ways that different technologies may be integrated and create impact across several traditional functions. As main outcome of this game we highlight the need for an interdisciplinary approach for utilizing Industry 4.0 technologies.