HRC 4.0 - German-Czech Innovation Laboratory for Human-Robot Collaboration in Industry 4.0
Problem definition and objectives
The objective of the Innovation Laboratory HRC4.0 is the concrete testing and implementation of human-robot collaboration for industry 4.0. HRC4.0 is guided by the principle of combining human characteristics such as creativity and empathy with the high precision, power and fatigue-free repetition accuracy of machines. Thereby learning machines adapt to the human being and his individual abilities and needs.
As the Innovation Dialogue highlighted, the linking of technology drivers such as multimodal sensor technology, wearables, augmented reality – but also virtual and mixed reality as well as multi-modal interaction – with robotic systems plays a prominent role. This can only succeed if AI-driven approaches complement the traditional machine-centered paradigms in a synergetic way. In order to realize the flexible manufacturing of individualized products that is characteristic of Industry 4.0, the Innovation Lab will create a heterogeneous environment in which human-robot collaboration can be researched, implemented and tested in various scenarios. The robotic systems to be used will be identified by means of capability modelling, which will match the production tasks and the skills of the employees.
Procedure
The innovation laboratory is not concerned with the development of new types of robots, but exclusively with interaction in human-robot teams. The lightweight robots used are supplied by different manufacturers and have different capabilities.
Focus topics of the cooperation agreement between DFKI and CIIRC in the area of Industry 4.0 include:
- Intelligent human-robot collaboration in cyber-physical production environments;
- Semantic technologies for service orchestration and process optimization in smart factories;
- Multimodal, proactive and situation-aware production assistance using VR, AR and mixed reality technologies;
- Real-time Production Planning for Industry 4.0
Current project status and results
The innovation laboratory under the scientific direction of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Wolfgang Wahlster, CEO of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), offers in cooperation with the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC) an ideal research platform for national and European cooperation projects to develop the next generation of innovative MRK for industry 4.0 applications.
