Towards a Human-Centred Reference Architecture for Next Generation Balanced Automation Systems: Human-Automation Symbiosis

Abstract

Abstract. Human-centricity in manufacturing is becoming an essential enabler to achieve social sustainable manufacturing. In particular, human-centric automation can offer new means to increase competitiveness in the face of new social challenges for the factories of the future. This paper proposes a HumanCentred Reference Architecture that can structure and guide efforts to engineer Next Generation Balanced Automation Systems featuring adaptive automation that take into account various criteria in the operating environment such as time-lapse, performance degradation, age-, disability-and inexperience-related limitations of operators to increase their working capabilities.

The Operator 4.0: Human Cyber-Physical Systems & Adaptive Automation Towards Human-Automation Symbiosis Work Systems

“…BAS implementations have mainly been based on the principles of 'anthropocentric production systems' [5] and the advantages offered by flexible automation as an extension of programmable automation in manufacturing systems. In [6], it has been previously defined a Next Generation BAS concept with the aim of stepping beyond the 'right balance' between automated and manual tasks in production systems, so as to the achieve 'human-automation symbiosis' for enhancing workforce capabilities (cf. Operator 4.0) and increasing manufacturing flexibility (cf.…”

“…The development of 'human-automation symbiosis' in work systems [6] [36] offers advantages for the social sustainability of the manufacturing workforce in Industry 4.0, in terms of improving operational excellence, safety and health, satisfaction and motivation, inclusiveness, and continuous learning. Hence, the purpose of H-CPS and AA in this research is to support the Operator 4.0 to excel in the job by means of automation-aided systems that aim to provide a sustainable relief of physical and mental stress and contribute to the development of workforce creativity, innovation and improvisational skills, without compromising production objectives.…”

Placing the operator at the centre of Industry 4.0 design: Modelling and assessing human activities within cyber-physical systems

“…According to this view, machines and algorithms become the means for workers to continue to work instead of being replaced (Ferreira, Doltsinis, & Lohse, 2014); means to accommodate issues related to ageing (Peruzzini & Pellicciari, 2016), disabilities or inexperience (Romero, Noran, Stahre, Bernus, & Fast-Berglund, 2015) and increase skill match, comfort and wellbeing (Fiasche, Pinzone, Fantini, Alexandru, & Taisch, 2016) .…”

“…In this work, the presence and quality of social interaction is represented in a scale from a minimum level of no interactions or interactions merely following a standardized procedure; to an intermediate level of complex interactions to achieve an agreement through mediation and negotiation activities; to the higher level of contributing to the social cohesion of the team or the reference community. (Romero et al, 2015) related to specific conditions of the workers. In particular, these conditions might be permanent, such as age, disabilities (Peruzzini & Pellicciari, 2016), or temporary, such as stress or fatigue.…”

“…Human component: services to customize the workplaces and the human-computer-interfaces to adjust to the physical and sensorial characteristics of the workers can support workers with disabilities or ageing; finally, personalization features can enhance all the other supporting services to adapt to different conditions of the workers, such as stress, fatigue, inexperience-related limitations of towards humanautomation symbiosis (Romero et al, 2015).…”