Development of embedded systems for a smart and sustainable industry 5.0

Abstract

Embedded electronic systems are at the heart of enabling and emerging digital technologies in Industry 4.0 and 5.0. The emergence of Industry 5.0 as a paradigm seeks to reframe industrial systems into a broader context to emphasise human-centricity, environmental sustainability and resilience. A review of literature reveals limited guidance on how the Industry 5.0 vision and its values are to be integrated into the design of embedded systems to uphold these three pillars. This work aims to support the implementation path of Industry 5.0 by adopting and implementing a suitable design methodology for embedded systems in Industry 5.0. To address this gap, the hypothesis presented is that the Value-Sensitive Design (VSD) methodology can provide a systematic means of guiding embedded systems development for Industry 5.0. Towards this hypothesis this work identifies and adopts the Value-Sensitive Design (VSD) methodology as a structured process to elicit, translate and implement the Industry 5.0 vision into embedded hardware design. In doing so, design values for embedded systems in Industry 5.0 are presented and a stakeholder analysis is performed. Combining literature with a Delphi study involving a panel of Industry 5.0 experts, fifteen key Industry 5.0 themes and fourteen design values for Industry 5.0 are defined. These values were the basis towards fifty-one design requirements for embedded systems design in Industry 5.0. These requirements are subsequently evaluated through a mixed-methods empirical study involving embedded systems engineers while additionally examining the challenges, implications and awareness around Industry 5.0. An embedded system prototype re-design is then carried out using the outcomes of the VSD process to propose tangible technical specifications. This re-design provides examples of implementing such specifications and their resulting trade-offs, which corroborate the feedback received by the group of embedded systems engineers which participated. The outcomes of the VSD process contributed to Industry 5.0 design values and hence technical specifications according to the paradigm’s objectives. This provides evidence in support of the proposed hypothesis and are a foundation towards additional comparative studies and in-depth technical and value evaluations. These will be constructive to the development of Industry 5.0 designer tools and recommendations to better prepare current and future embedded systems designers for the requirements of Industry 5.0.