Industrial collaborative environments integrating AI, Big Data and Robotics for smart manufacturing

摘要

In recent years, global events have posed significant challenges to manufacturing firms’ business models, necessitating adaptable production systems that integrate human and automated resources seamlessly. Fortunately, technological advancements over the past decade have facilitated flexible production solutions. This paper introduces the approach of the CONVERGING EU project for collaborative smart manufacturing systems aiming at increasing flexibility, efficiency, and operators’ satisfaction. The proposed approach is structured into three technical pillars: perception, adaptation, collaboration, enhanced by modules for fostering user experience. Perception involves identifying and recognizing features of parts, resources, and surroundings to infer and analyse their status, and formulate action plans. Automated adaptations through hardware and control system modifications allow for executing formulated plans while complying with user characteristics and needs. Collaboration focuses on the software and hardware interfaces to ensure safe and seamless interaction with collaborative robotic solutions. Training, ergonomics tracking, and adaptable interfaces are also proposed to pave the way toward social industrial environments. This approach is applied to four industrial scenarios from different manufacturing sectors: automotive, white goods, aeronautics and additive manufacturing. The design of systems incorporating AI and robotics is presented together with the expected impact including safer, more intuitive, and trustful human-robot interaction, but also more inclusive industrial environments.