Security framework for industrial collaborative robotic cyber-physical systems

The paper introduces a security framework for the application of human-robot collaboration in a futuristic industrial cyber-physical system (CPS) context of industry 4.0. The basic elements and functional requirements of a secure collaborative robotic cyber-physical system are explained and then the cyber-attack modes are discussed in the context of collaborative CPS whereas a defense mechanism strategy is proposed for such a complex system. The cyber-attacks are categorized according to the extent on controllability and the possible effects on the performance and efficiency of such CPS. The paper also describes the severity and categorization of such cyber-attacks and the causal effect on the human worker safety during human-robot collaboration. Attacks in three dimensions of availability, authentication and confidentiality are proposed as the basis of a consolidated mitigation plan. We propose a security framework based on a two-pronged strategy where the impact of this methodology is demonstrated on a teleoperation benchmark (NeCS-Car). The mitigation strategy includes enhanced data security at important interconnected adaptor nodes and development of an intelligent module that employs a concept similar to system health monitoring and reconfiguration

Understanding vulnerabilities in cyber physical production systems

Development of future manufacturing systems is featured with flexibility, mass customization, intelligence and context based learning to produce smart products. These production systems are characterized through networked, cooperating objects called cyber physical systems (CPSs). From the manufacturing perspective, the ability to communicate data and develop interaction between devices, manufacturing machinery, raw materials, working robots, humans and the plant environment develops the concept of cyber physical production systems (CPPS). Human-robot collaboration is a technology area that will be an integrated part of the future factory floor and the CPPS. With the involvement of human part in the automated system industrial scenarios, practical safety issues are expected to arise in the connected environment due to the use of a large number of devices, sensors, and cloud services causing complex network, IP conflicts, compromised nodes and communication issues. This all may lead to occupational safety issues on the factory floor in different ways and combinations. Overall, the system's physical vulnerability will be increased in the context of compromised connected working space and cyber-security. In this paper, the authors developed a risk assessment based on system vulnerability of a CPPS developed for a use case requirement and performed a simulated approach by launching a cyber-attack and measuring the causal effect to identify implications on human worker safety

A methodology to develop collaborative robotic cyber physical systems for production environments

The paper identifies the need for human robot collaboration for conventional light weight and heavy payload robots in future manufacturing environment. An overview of state of the art for these types of robots shows that there exists no solution for human robot collaboration. Here, we consider cyber physical systems, which are based on human worker participation as an integrated role in addition to its basic components. First, the paper identifies the collaborative schemes and a formal grading system is formulated based on four performance indicators. A detailed sensor catalog is established for one of the collaboration schemes, and performance indices are computed with various sensors. This study reveals an assessment of best and worst possible ranges of performance indices that are useful in the categorization of collaboration levels. To illustrate a possible solution, a hypothetical industrial scenario is discussed in a production environment. Generalizing this approach, a design methodology is developed for such human robot collaborative environments for various industrial scenarios to enable solution implementation

Prepubertal sons of substance abusers: influences of parental and familial substance abuse on behavioral disposition, IQ, and school achievement

In order to better understand the transgeneration liability for a substance abuse disorder, we investigated the impact of parental and familial substance abuse disorders on prepubertal boys. Specifically, the influence of each parent's substance abuse history and the effects of significant family aggregation of substance abuse disorders were tested as predictors of the child's behavioral disposition, IQ, and school achievement scores, while controlling for socioeconomic status (SES). Sons of substance abusing fathers were found to have higher externalizing and internalizing problem-behavior scores, lower IQ scores, and lower school achievement scores. Internalizing and externalizing problem-behavior scores were most strongly associated with bilineal parental substance abuse, whereas SES and paternal substance abuse were most strongly associated with IQ and school performance scores. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that although paternal substance abuse has an adverse impact on the son's functioning, bilineal parental substance abuse is associated with the greatest behavioral deviancy among prepubertal males and is associated with a greater liability for substance abuse

Supporting Inclusive Design of User Interfaces with a Virtual User Model

In this paper an approach to improve the design of every day consumer products for inclusive design with a focus on elderly people with mild to medium physical and sensory impairments is presented. As mainstream manufactures do not have a detailed understanding of the needs of this target group the idea is to use a Virtual Human Model that covers these impairments. A Virtual Laboratory with three design phases is the approach to allow designers to plan and evaluate the user interfaces of their products. The paper gives a state of the art and presents the Virtual User Model as a mixture of human and environment context. In this paper we present results of an detailed ethnographic study. The research carried out on a group of 58 elderly people from the UK, Ireland and Germany who had a range of three mild-to-medium impairments; hearing, vision and manual dexterity