Developing augmented reality capabilities for industry 4.0 small enterprises: Lessons learnt from a content authoring case study

Augmented reality (AR) has been proposed as a disruptive and enabling technology within the Industry 4.0 manufacturing paradigm. The complexity of the AR content creation process results in an inability for Small Enterprise (SE)to create bespoke,flexibleARtraining support “in-house” and is a potential barrier to industrial adoption of AR. Presently, AR content creation requires a range of specialist knowledge (e.g. 3D modelling, interface design, programming and spatial tracking) and may involve infrastructure changes (e.g. fiducial markers, cameras) and disruption to workflow. The research reported in this paper concerns the development and deployment of an Augmented Repair Training Application (ARTA); a templatebased interface to support end user (shop floor) AR content creation. The proposed methodology and implementation are discussed and evaluated in a real-world industrial case study in collaboration with a Small Enterprise (SE) in the Used and Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment sector (UEEE/WEEE). The need for end user friendly templates is presented in the conclusion alongside further related work

Comparison of in-sight and handheld navigation devices toward supporting industry 4.0 supply chains: First and last mile deliveries at the human level

Last (and First) mile deliveries are an increasingly important and costly component of supply chains especially those that require transport within city centres. With reduction in anticipated manufacturing and delivery timescales, logistics personnel are expected to identify the correct location (accurately) and supply the goods in appropriate condition (safe delivery). Moving towards more environmentally sustainable supply chains, the last/first mile of deliveries may be completed by a cyclist courier which could result in significant reductions in congestion and emissions in cities. In addition, the last metres of an increasing number of deliveries are completed on foot i.e. as a pedestrian. Although research into new technologies to support enhanced navigation capabilities is ongoing, the focus to date has been on technical implementations with limited studies addressing how information is perceived and actioned by a human courier. In the research reported in this paper a comparison study has been conducted with 24 participants evaluating two examples of state-of-the-art navigation aids to support accurate (right time and place) and safe (right condition) navigation. Participants completed 4 navigation tasks, 2 whilst cycling and 2 whilst walking. The navigation devices under investigation were a handheld display presenting a map and instructions and an in-sight monocular display presenting text and arrow instructions. Navigation was conducted in a real-world environment in which eye movements and device interaction were recorded using Tobii-Pro 2 eye tracking glasses. The results indicate that the handheld device provided better support for accurate navigation (right time and place), with longer but less frequent gaze interactions and higher perceived usability. The in-sight display supported improved situation awareness with a greater number of hazards acknowledged. The benefits and drawbacks of each device and use of visual navigation support tools are discussed

Considerations for the design of next-generation interfaces to support human workers in Industry 4.0

Considerations for the design of next-generation interfaces to support human workers in Industry 4.

Reliability of bilateral and shear components in a two-legged counter-movement jump

Strength asymmetry can be detrimental to athlete performance and may lead to injury. The countermovement jump (CMJ) can be used to measure strength asymmetry via shear force production. The reliability of parameters and effects of asymmetry and shear force production on vertical CMJ performance were evaluated in a study with 15 university-level sprint and high jump athletes ( m = 11, f = 4). The athletes performed three CMJs on two occasions, separated by 1 week. Tri-axial ground reaction force (GRF) was recorded using two force platforms embedded within a bespoke weight training area. Key performance metrics were calculated in real-time describing total CMJ performance, asymmetry and shear force production. Changes in the means and coefficients of variation (CV) were used to express reliability. Twenty-six parameters from the Total analysis and 21 Asymmetry analysis parameters showed a CV lower than 10%. Temporal and kinetic variables describing Asymmetry analysis highlight a lower CV compared with equivalent parameters derived from Total analysis. Shear parameters show high levels of CV compared with Total analysis and Asymmetry analysis. The measures of asymmetry calculated using methods described in this work were shown to be reliable for monitoring CMJ performance. No significant negative relationships were found between measures of asymmetry or shear force and traditional performance metrics in the CMJ (e.g. jump height, specific peak power and peak force). Further work is required to identify the potential of reducing asymmetry on CMJ performance

A novel inertial positioning update method, using passive RFID tags, for indoor asset localisation

The benefits of the fourth industrial revolution are realised through accurate capture and processing of data relating to product, process, asset and supply chain activities. Although services such as Global Positioning Services (GPS) can be relied on outdoors, indoor positioning remains a challenge due to the characteristics of indoor environments (including metal structures, changing environments and personnel). An accurate Indoor Positioning System (IPS) is required to provide end-to-end asset tracking within a manufacturing supply chain to improve security and process monitoring. Inertial measurement units (IMU) are commonly used for indoor positioning and routing services due to their low cost and ease of implementation. However, IMU accuracy (including heading and orientation detection) is reduced by the effects of indoor environmental conditions (such as motors and metallic structures) and require low-cost reliable solutions to improve accuracy. The current state of the art utilises algorithms to adjust the IMU data and improve accuracy, resulting in error propagation. The research outlined in this paper explores the use of passive RFID tags as a low cost, non-invasive method to reorient an IMU step and heading algorithm. This is achieved by confirming reference location to correct drift in scenarios where magnetometer and zero velocity updates are not available. The RFID tag correction method is demonstrated to map the route taken by an asset carried by personnel in an indoor environment. The test scenario task is representative of warehousing and delivery tasks where asset and personnel tracking are required

Countermovement jump performance in elite male and female sprinters and high jumpers

Countermovement jumps (CMJs) are widely used in athlete training, performance monitoring and research as an indicator of power output. Despite extensive scientific research on CMJs, data for elite track and field athletes is limited, particularly for non-sprint events and female athletes. The purpose of this study was threefold: (i) to compare CMJ performance between elite sprinters and high jumpers; (ii) to compare CMJ performance between elite male and female athletes in these two events; and (iii) to determine which CMJ take-off parameters correlated most strongly with jump height. Twenty-seven elite athletes (sprinters: nine male and seven female; high jumpers: five male and six female) completed three maximal CMJs. Jump height and take-off phase parameters were obtained from the force–time data and compared between groups; additionally, time series comparisons were performed on the force, power and displacement data. There was no difference in jump height or any of the take-off parameters between the sprinters and high jumpers; however, the time series analysis indicated that the sprinters maintained a lower center of mass position during the latter concentric phase. The male athletes jumped higher than the female athletes (by 10.0 cm or 24.2%; p<0.001) with significantly greater body weight normalized peak power (17.9%, p=0.002) and significantly shorter eccentric time (17.4%, p=0.035). Jump height was most strongly correlated with peak power. In addition, jump height was also strongly correlated with positive impulse and both minimum and mean concentric center of mass position. These results support the importance of accounting for event and gender when investigating CMJ performance

An interoperable semantic service toolset with domain ontology for automated decision support in the end-of-life domain

In product-diverse, end-of-life (EoL) production lines the relevant markets, competitors and customer bases continuously change as new products are processed. The resale market itself changes with the influx of new products, as well as hardware and software discontinuations. Competitive business decision making is often performed by a human operator and may not be timely or fully informed. These are decisions such as whether to perform a high cost repair or recycle a product or whether to use a batch of parts in repair or sell them on. These decisions can be used to optimise product life-cycle management (PLM) and profit margins. A real-time decision making capability can reduce the risk of performing non-profitable processing. The novel contribution of this work is an interoperable semantic decision support toolset that enables a capability for timely EoL decisions based on complete knowledge on profitability, predicted pricing and cost-of-production. Many decision support systems have been proposed for the EoL domain, but a lack of interoperability and use of unstructured knowledge bases has led to decisions based on knowledge that is not up to date. Using formalised, semantic technologies offers sustainable decision making in this volatile and increasingly competitive domain

Supplementary files for 'Comparison of in-sight and handheld navigation devices toward supporting industry 4.0 supply chains: First and last mile deliveries at the human level'

Supplementary files for 'Comparison of in-sight and handheld navigation devices toward supporting industry 4.0 supply chains: First and last mile deliveries at the human level'Abstract:Last (and First) mile deliveries are an increasingly important and costly component of supply chains especially those that require transport within city centres. With reduction in anticipated manufacturing and delivery timescales, logistics personnel are expected to identify the correct location (accurately) and supply the goods in appropriate condition (safe delivery). Moving towards more environmentally sustainable supply chains, the last/first mile of deliveries may be completed by a cyclist courier which could result in significant reductions in congestion and emissions in cities. In addition, the last metres of an increasing number of deliveries are completed on foot i.e. as a pedestrian. Although research into new technologies to support enhanced navigation capabilities is ongoing, the focus to date has been on technical implementations with limited studies addressing how information is perceived and actioned by a human courier. In the research reported in this paper a comparison study has been conducted with 24 participants evaluating two examples of state-of-the-art navigation aids to support accurate (right time and place) and safe (right condition) navigation. Participants completed 4 navigation tasks, 2 whilst cycling and 2 whilst walking. The navigation devices under investigation were a handheld display presenting a map and instructions and an in-sight monocular display presenting text and arrow instructions. Navigation was conducted in a real-world environment in which eye movements and device interaction were recorded using Tobii-Pro 2 eye tracking glasses. The results indicate that the handheld device provided better support for accurate navigation (right time and place), with longer but less frequent gaze interactions and higher perceived usability. The in-sight display supported improved situation awareness with a greater number of hazards acknowledged. The benefits and drawbacks of each device and use of visual navigation support tools are discussed.</div

The potential of industry 4.0 cyber physical system to improve quality assurance: An automotive case study for wash monitoring of returnable transit items

The aim of the research outlined in this paper is to demonstrate the implementation of a Cyber-Physical System (CPS) within the Automotive Industry for the monitoring and control of Returnable Transit Items (RTIs) toward improved quality assurance and process compliance. The socio-technical issues encountered during the realworld implementation are discussed to inform future design Automotive RTI’s are utilised in the transportation of both components and subsequently assembled products at the beginning and end of life stages. The implemented system utilises passive Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags for the identification of metal RTIs via associated plastic separators, whilst a distributed network of RFID portals was integrated within the RTI working environment to capture and characterise their movements. The requirements, design process and resulting architecture are presented alongside the results and lessons learnt from an implementation within the automotive industry. Through the integration of business processes, analytics and tacit domain knowledge, a real-time model of the state of RTIs was developed to support decision making by a range of stakeholders. This research contributes to the knowledge of CPSs requirements identification, design, deployment and the challenges faced within real world asset monitoring and traceability within the automotive industry. Areas for future research to support the next generation of RTI traceability, monitoring and control systems are presented