No abstract

Collaborative robots or co-bots are a category of robots that are designed to work together with humans. By combining the strength of the robot such as precision and strength with the dexterity and problem-solving ability of the human, it is possible to achieve tasks that cannot be fully automated and improve the production quality and working conditions of workers. This paper presents the results of the ClaXon project which aims to study and implement interactions between humans and collaborative robots in factories. The project has led to the integration of a co-bot in the car manufacturing production plant of Audi Brussels in Belgium. Proofs of concepts were realized to study multimodal perceptions for human-robot interaction. The project addressed technical challenges regarding the introduction of collaborative robots on the factory floor. Social experiments were conducted with factory workers to assess the social acceptance of co-bots and study the interactions between the human and the robot.

Human-robot collaboration, whereby the human and the robot join their forces to achieve a task, opens new application opportunities in manufacturing. Robots can perform precise and repetitive operations while humans can execute tasks that require dexterity and problem-solving abilities. Moreover, collaborative robots can take over heavy-duty tasks. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a serious health concern and the primary cause of absenteeism at work. While the role of the human is still essential in flexible production environment, the robot can help decreasing the workload of workers. This paper describes a novel framework for task allocation of human-robot assembly applications based on capabilities and ergonomics considerations. Capable agents are determined on the basis of agent characteristics and task requirements. Ergonomics is integrated by measuring the human body posture and the related workload. The developed framework was validated on a gearbox assembly use case using the collaborative robot Baxter.

Objective Over the course of the twenty-first century, work-related musculoskeletal disorders are still persisting among blue collar workers. At present, no epidemiological overview exists. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed on the epidemiology of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) within Europe’s secondary industries. Methods Five databases were screened, yielding 34 studies for the qualitative analysis and 17 for the quantitative analysis. Twelve subgroups of WMSDs were obtained for the meta-analysis by means of predefined inclusion criteria: back (overall), upper back, lower back, neck, shoulder, neck/shoulder, elbow, wrist/hand, leg (overall), hip, knee, and ankle/feet. Results The most prevalent WMSDs were located at the back (overall), shoulder/neck, neck, shoulder, lower back and wrist WMSDs with mean 12-month prevalence values of 60, 54, 51, 50, 47, and 42%, respectively. The food industry was in the majority of subgroups the most prominent researched sector and was frequently associated with high prevalence values of WMSDs. Incidence ratios of upper limb WMSDs ranged between 0.04 and 0.26. Incidence ratios could not be calculated for other anatomical regions due to the lack of sufficient articles. Conclusion WMSDs are still highly present among blue collar workers. Relatively high prevalence values and low incidence ratios indicate a limited onset of WMSDs with however long-term complaints.