The FELICE project is coming to an end: human-robot collaboration for the assembly of the future
The EU-funded project FELICE (Flexible Assembly Manufacturing with Human-Robot Collaboration and Digital Twin Models) will come to an end on December 31, 2024. The aim of the project was to develop innovative assembly processes that meet the growing demand for products and services. The focus was on developing a technology that combines the precision and endurance of a robot with the cognitive abilities and flexibility of a human. Since January 2021, IfADo researchers led by Yannick Metzler, Felix Dreger and Melanie Karthaus have been working with numerous European partners to realize this vision.
This marks the end of an exciting and challenging time for the IfADo team: “The project was technically demanding and very ambitious, as the human worker was at the center of the technical development and system design,” says Felix Dreger. There were numerous highlights and milestones during the four years of collaboration. Particularly noteworthy are the important contributions to the definition of human-centered requirements and tasks as well as risk analyses taking cognitive ergonomics into account.
IfADo's contribution: Working safely and effectively with robots
IfADo's main task was to specify/define the requirements for human-robot collaboration, placing particular emphasis on the wellbeing of employees. One key aspect was safety: how can collaboration between humans and robots be designed? What factors need to be taken into consideration during development to ensure user-friendliness, acceptance and trust in the robot? These questions were systematically addressed as part of the project.
First steps: Concerns about collision risk and communication
To lay the foundations for successful collaboration, the IfADo researchers carried out a detailed activity analysis of work with and without robots. A focus group survey was used to identify workers' concerns about working with a mobile robot colleague. The results showed that the risk of collision and difficult communication between humans and robots were perceived as the biggest challenges. As reliable mutual understanding is the basis for successful human-robot communication, the next step was to work on a user-friendly design for visual communication. In addition to visual interfaces, physical and auditory interactions, such as distances, speeds and voice commands, were also taken into account.
Training for the employees
Another critical step was the development of a short training program for the employees. The aim of the program was to give employees a solid understanding of the robot and how to collaborate. The training covered three main areas: safety instructions, effective collaboration and dealing with malfunctions. The aim was to enable the workers to interact safely and, above all, efficiently with the robot and to solve potential problems independently.
Evaluation at the workplace: how does the model line system work?
A final and particularly important step was the evaluation of human-robot collaboration directly at the workplace. How do both experienced and inexperienced workers cope with the system? What improvements are still needed to optimize collaboration? The IfADo team focused on the human aspects: mental stress, trust, acceptance and the user-friendliness of the entire system.
The results of the evaluation showed that all employees were familiar with the system and the user-friendliness was satisfying. However, areas for improvement were also identified, including the speed of movement and more precise timing of the robot for more efficient integration into workflows. In general, the FELICE system has the potential to reduce the physical strain on workers and thus improve their wellbeing in the long term.
Felix Dreger summarizes the results of the project: “The FELICE project was a wonderful opportunity to collaborate internationally and advance cutting-edge research in interdisciplinary teams at European level.” Thanks to the intensive collaboration and the innovative solutions in the field of human-robot collaboration, IfADo was able to contribute to the success of the project and thus to the use of robots in the workplace.