Assessing System-Wide Safety Readiness for Successful Human–Robot Collaboration Adoption

Abstract

Despite their undisputed potential, the uptake of collaborative robots remains below expectations. Collaborative robots (cobots) are used differently from conventional industrial robots. The current safety focus of collaborative workspaces is predominantly on the technological design; additional factors also need to be considered to cope with the emerging risks associated with complex systems. Cobot technologies are characterized by an inherent tradeoff between safety and efficiency. They introduce new, emergent risks to organizations and can create psychosocial impacts on workers. This leads to a confusing body of information and an apparent contradiction about cobot safety. Combined with a lack of safety knowledge, this impedes the introduction of cobots. A multi-step methodology was used, including a literature review and conceptual modeling. This article argues for the need for a system-wide safety awareness readiness assessment in the consideration phase of cobot implementation to alleviate the knowledge deficit and confusion. This work will benefit both researchers and practitioners. In addition, it defends the appropriateness of a maturity grid model for a readiness assessment tool. The building blocks for an easy-to-use and practically applicable tool are proposed, as well as an agenda for the next steps.

Stakeholders’ perspectives on safety-related human–robot collaborative scenarios

“…33,57,58 Yet the identification and specific role of the stakeholders for HRC have only received scant attention to the best of our knowledge, such as in a Swedish explorative study. 36 The roles of the various stakeholders in the collaborative robot application cycle, regarding their general stakes and safety as a stake in particular, have not yet been mapped out.…”

“…34,35 An explanation for this apparent contradiction is the lack of safety knowledge and awareness. 36 According to a 2018 survey that collected data from robot distributors worldwide, 79% of distributors do not believe that their customers understand cobot safety requirements. 37 The perceived benefits of cobots can, however, differ significantly among different stakeholders.…”

Redesign of Manufacturing Workstation with Value Sensitive Design and Axiomatic Design to Incorporate Values of Industry 5.0

“…To analyze and understand the amount of data offered by technologies such as cloud computing or big data, the worker needs a high cognitive capacity. [10]. Regarding physical interaction, the new environments require working together with collaborative robots or the use of exoskeletons [11].…”

Dynamic Modeling and Simulation of Mobile Robot Under Disturbances and Obstacles in an Environment

“…Exploring the kinematic and dynamic equations governing the motion of the wheeled mobile base is essential for understanding the robot's behavior during different maneuvers and tasks [8]. Moreover, the role of robots extends beyond domestic settings, as demonstrated in applications such as robots for safety and health at work" [9][10][11], where they play a crucial role in hazardous situations. Robot helps to nonstop monitoring for the purpose of contributing to the field of IoT security in "Methods for Detection and Prevention of Vulnerabilities in IoT Systems" [12].…”