The design and evaluation of an ergonomic contactless gesture control system for industrial robots

In industrial human-robot collaboration, variability commonly exists in the operation environment and the components, which induces uncertainty and error that require frequent manual intervention for rectification. Conventional teach pendants can be physically demanding to use and require user training prior to operation. Thus, a more effective control interface is required. In this paper, the design and evaluation of a contactless gesture control system using Leap Motion is described. The design process involves the use of RULA human factor analysis tool. Separately, an exploratory usability test was conducted to compare three usability aspects between the developed gesture control system and an off-the-shelf conventional touchscreen teach pendant. This paper focuses on the user-centred design methodology of the gesture control system. The novelties of this research are the use of human factor analysis tools in the human-centred development process, as well as the gesture control design that enable users to control industrial robot’s motion by its joints and tool centre point position. The system has potential to use as an input device for industrial robot control in a human-robot collaboration scene. The developed gesture control system was targeting applications in system recovery and error correction in flexible manufacturing environment shared between humans and robots. The system allows operators to control an industrial robot without the requirement of significant training

Development and assessment of a contactless 3D joystick approach to industrial manipulator gesture control

This paper explores a novel design of ergonomic gesture control with visual feedback for the UR3 collaborative robot that aims to allow users with little to no familiarity with robots to complete basic tasks and programming. The principle behind the design mirrors that of a 3D joystick but utilises the Leapmotion device to track the user's hands and prevents any need for a physical joystick or buttons. The Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) ergonomic tool was used to inform the design and ensure the system was safe for long-term use. The developed system was assessed using the RULA tool for an ergonomic score and through an experiment requiring 19 voluntary participants to complete a basic task with both the gesture system and the UR3's RTP (Robot Teach Pendant), then filling out SUS (System Usability Scale) questionnaires to compare the usability of both systems. The task involved controlling the robot to pick up a pipe and then insert it into a series of slots of decreasing diameter, allowing for both the speed and accuracy of each system to be compared. The experiment found that even those with no previous robot experience were able to complete the tasks after only a brief description of how the gesture system works. Despite beating the RTP's ergonomic score, the system narrowly lost on average usability scores. However, as a contactless gesture system it has other advantages over the RTP and through this experiment many potential improvements were identified, paving the way for future work into assessing the significance of including the visual feedback and comparing this system against other gesture-based systems

The development of a human-robot interface for industrial collaborative system

Industrial robots have been identified as one of the most effective solutions for optimising output and quality within many industries. However, there are a number of manufacturing applications involving complex tasks and inconstant components which prohibit the use of fully automated solutions in the foreseeable future. A breakthrough in robotic technologies and changes in safety legislations have supported the creation of robots that coexist and assist humans in industrial applications. It has been broadly recognised that human-robot collaborative systems would be a realistic solution as an advanced production system with wide range of applications and high economic impact. This type of system can utilise the best of both worlds, where the robot can perform simple tasks that require high repeatability while the human performs tasks that require judgement and dexterity of the human hands. Robots in such system will operate as “intelligent assistants”. In a collaborative working environment, robot and human share the same working area, and interact with each other. This level of interface will require effective ways of communication and collaboration to avoid unwanted conflicts. This project aims to create a user interface for industrial collaborative robot system through integration of current robotic technologies. The robotic system is designed for seamless collaboration with a human in close proximity. The system is capable to communicate with the human via the exchange of gestures, as well as visual signal which operators can observe and comprehend at a glance. The main objective of this PhD is to develop a Human-Robot Interface (HRI) for communication with an industrial collaborative robot during collaboration in proximity. The system is developed in conjunction with a small scale collaborative robot system which has been integrated using off-the-shelf components. The system should be capable of receiving input from the human user via an intuitive method as well as indicating its status to the user ii effectively. The HRI will be developed using a combination of hardware integrations and software developments. The software and the control framework were developed in a way that is applicable to other industrial robots in the future. The developed gesture command system is demonstrated on a heavy duty industrial robot

Emerging research fields in safety and ergonomics in industrial collaborative robotics: A systematic literature review

Abstract 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)

Contactless Haptic Display Through Magnetic Field Control

Haptic rendering enables people to touch, perceive, and manipulate virtual objects in a virtual environment. Using six cascaded identical hollow disk electromagnets and a small permanent magnet attached to an operator's finger, this paper proposes and develops an untethered haptic interface through magnetic field control. The concentric hole inside the six cascaded electromagnets provides the workspace, where the 3D position of the permanent magnet is tracked with a Microsoft Kinect sensor. The driving currents of six cascaded electromagnets are calculated in real-time for generating the desired magnetic force. Offline data from an FEA (finite element analysis) based simulation, determines the relationship between the magnetic force, the driving currents, and the position of the permanent magnet. A set of experiments including the virtual object recognition experiment, the virtual surface identification experiment, and the user perception evaluation experiment were conducted to demonstrate the proposed system, where Microsoft HoloLens holographic glasses are used for visual rendering. The proposed magnetic haptic display leads to an untethered and non-contact interface for natural haptic rendering applications, which overcomes the constraints of mechanical linkages in tool-based traditional haptic devices

Evaluation of User Experience in Human–Robot Interaction : A Systematic Literature Review

Industry 4.0 has ushered in a new era of process automation, thus redefining the role of people and altering existing workplaces into unknown formats. The number of robots in the manufacturing industry has been steadily increasing for several decades and in recent years the number and variety of industries using robots have also increased. For robots to become allies in the day-to-day lives of operators, they need to provide positive and fit-for-purpose experiences through smooth and satisfying interactions. In this sense, user experience (UX) serves as the greatest link between persons and robots. Essential to the study of UX is its evaluation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify methodologies that evaluate the human–robot interaction (HRI) from a human-centred approach. A systematic literature review has been carried out, in which 24 articles have been identified. Among these, are 15 experimental studies, in addition to theoretical frameworks and tools. The review has provided insight into how evaluations are conducted in HRI. The results show the most evaluated factors and how they are measured considering different types of measurements: qualitative and quantitative, objective and subjective. Research gaps and future directions are correspondingly identified

Evaluation of contactless human–machine interface for robotic surgical training

Purpose Teleoperated robotic systems are nowadays routinely used for specific interventions. Benefits of robotic training courses have already been acknowledged by the community since manipulation of such systems requires dedicated training. However, robotic surgical simulators remain expensive and require a dedicated human–machine interface. Methods We present a low-cost contactless optical sensor, the Leap Motion, as a novel control device to manipulate the RAVEN-II robot. We compare peg manipulations during a training task with a contact-based device, the electro-mechanical Sigma.7. We perform two complementary analyses to quantitatively assess the performance of each control method: a metric-based comparison and a novel unsupervised spatiotemporal trajectory clustering. Results We show that contactless control does not offer as good manipulability as the contact-based. Where part of the metric-based evaluation presents the mechanical control better than the contactless one, the unsupervised spatiotemporal trajectory clustering from the surgical tool motions highlights specific signature inferred by the human–machine interfaces. Conclusions Even if the current implementation of contactless control does not overtake manipulation with high-standard mechanical interface, we demonstrate that using the optical sensor complete control of the surgical instruments is feasible. The proposed method allows fine tracking of the trainee’s hands in order to execute dexterous laparoscopic training gestures. This work is promising for development of future human–machine interfaces dedicated to robotic surgical training systems

Industry 4.0 for SMEs

This open access book explores the concept of Industry 4.0, which presents a considerable challenge for the production and service sectors. While digitization initiatives are usually integrated into the central corporate strategy of larger companies, smaller firms often have problems putting Industry 4.0 paradigms into practice. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) possess neither the human nor financial resources to systematically investigate the potential and risks of introducing Industry 4.0. Addressing this obstacle, the international team of authors focuses on the development of smart manufacturing concepts, logistics solutions and managerial models specifically for SMEs. Aiming to provide methodological frameworks and pilot solutions for SMEs during their digital transformation, this innovative and timely book will be of great use to scholars researching technology management, digitization and small business, as well as practitioners within manufacturing companies

Industry 4.0 for SMEs

This open access book explores the concept of Industry 4.0, which presents a considerable challenge for the production and service sectors. While digitization initiatives are usually integrated into the central corporate strategy of larger companies, smaller firms often have problems putting Industry 4.0 paradigms into practice. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) possess neither the human nor financial resources to systematically investigate the potential and risks of introducing Industry 4.0. Addressing this obstacle, the international team of authors focuses on the development of smart manufacturing concepts, logistics solutions and managerial models specifically for SMEs. Aiming to provide methodological frameworks and pilot solutions for SMEs during their digital transformation, this innovative and timely book will be of great use to scholars researching technology management, digitization and small business, as well as practitioners within manufacturing companies

Towards human-robot collaboration in meat processing: Challenges and possibilities

Background Meat is one of the main sources of protein in human nutrition. During recent years meat production volume has been showing significant growth worldwide. The total growth of red meat production is expected to show an 80% increase by 2029, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD). Such growth indicates the necessity for existing production line modernisation to satisfy future increased demand for meat products. Scope and approach This article critically reviews automation challenges for robotic applications in the meat industry, among those are heterogeneity of meat pieces and inconsistency of cutting trajectories that must be overcome to achieve the final quality product. It specifically focuses on human-robot collaboration (HRC) that could be applied in the meat industry to address these challenges. The paper elaborates on possible adaptation of HRC in meat industry, based on its achievements in other industries. Key finding and conclusions With increased customisation for both hardware and software robots can offer a flexible, scalable, compact and cost-effective production line alternative to older machinery that require large floor space, are difficult to adapt and include higher maintenance costs. However, in the case of red meat industry there are no off-the-shelf robotic solutions that can cover all the production steps in the secondary meat processing. Introducing collaborative robots into meat processing could help to promote higher standards in food safety and human-working conditions in the industry and make automation more affordable for smaller production plants.Towards human-robot collaboration in meat processing: Challenges and possibilitiespublishedVersio