Designing collaborative robotic experiences in manufacturing environments

Abstract

Industry 4.0 has represented a paradigm shift in today’s manufacturing environment, where the introduction of advanced technology has enabled industries to remain competitive, while ensuring smarter and more efficient processes. Industrial robotics are one of the key technologies introduced to enhance automation and productivity, to meet the ever-increasing customer demand. Collaborative robotics, or cobots, have been introduced to various industries to target the limitations of traditional industrial robots, including their limited ability to handle highly customised production, the large amount of space required to accommodate them, and expensive safety systems. Cobots can interact with and work alongside humans, without safety barriers, to enhance productivity and reduce manual strain. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the implementation of a collaborative experience within an existing manufacturing environment. To develop the system requirements for such a collaborative experience, online surveys were first distributed to a group of technical experts, and preliminary interviews were conducted with operators working within a manufacturing environment. An iterative design cycle methodology was then chosen to design and implement a collaborative experience. A semi-automated processing line that handles small shafts imported from a customer was considered as a case study to implement and validate the design approach, by analysing the issues present within the system, and how these could be targeted with a collaborative experience. Following this analysis, different collaborative configurations were proposed as different solutions that can be implemented, with the optimal configuration being chosen to further the design process, recognising coexistence as the form of human-robot interaction (HRI) investigated within this study. A prototype was developed and tested at the University of Malta Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (DIME) labs to further improve the generated solution prior to implementation within the processing line. Risk assessments were conducted throughout this entire process to ensure human safety. Feasibility studies were conducted once the industrial testing was complete to assess key performing indicators (KPIs). Results indicate a safe solution which is more ergonomic than the manual counterpart, able to meet the yearly demand, even with an increased cycle time. The solution was deemed as technically and financially viable for the case study analysed, which is therefore promising for the advantages of collaboration within the manufacturing industry.