2022
Authors
Simoes, AC; Pinto, A; Santos, J; Pinheiro, S; Romero, D;
Publication
JOURNAL OF MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS
Abstract
In the pursuit of increasing efficiency, productivity and flexibility at production lines and their corresponding workstations, manufacturing companies have started to heavily invest in "collaborative workspaces" where close interaction between humans and robots promises to lead to these goals that neither can achieve on their own. Therefore, it is necessary to know the contributions, recommendations and guidelines that literature presents in terms of designing a manufacturing workplace where humans and cobots interact with each other to accomplish the defined objectives. These aspects need to be explored in an integrated and multidisciplinary way to maximize human involvement in the decision chain and to promote wellbeing and quality of work. This paper presents a systematic literature review on designing human-robot collaboration (HRC) workspaces for humans and robots in industrial settings. The study involved 252 articles in international journals and conferences proceedings published till 2019. A detailed selection process led to including 65 articles to further analysis. A framework that represents the complexity levels of the influencing factors presented in human-robot interaction (HRI) contexts was developed for the content analysis. Based on this framework the guidelines and recommendations of the analysed articles are presented in three categories: Category 1 - the first level of complexity, which considers only one specific influencing factor in the HRI. This category was split into two: human operator, and technology; Category 2 - the second level of complexity, includes recommendations and guidelines related to human-robot team's performance, and thus several influencing factors are present in the HRI; and, finally, Category 3 - the third level of complexity, where recommendations and guidelines for more complex and holistic approaches in the HRI are presented. The literature offers contributions from several knowledge areas capable to design safe, ergonomic, sustainable, and healthy human-centred workplaces where not only technical but also social and psychophysical aspects of collaboration are considered.
2022
Authors
Pinto, A; Sousa, S; Simoes, A; Santos, J;
Publication
HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
Abstract
Recently there has been an increasing demand for technologies (automated and intelligent machines) that brings benefits to organizations and society. Similar to the widespread use of personal computers in the past, today's needs are towards facilitating human-machine technology appropriation, especially in highly risky and regulated industries like robotics, manufacturing, automation, military, finance, or healthcare. In this context, trust can be used as a critical element to instruct how human-machine interaction should occur. Considering the context-dependency and multidimensional trust, this study seeks to find a way to measure the effects of perceived trust in a collaborative robot (cobot), regardless of its literal credibility as a real person. This article aims at translating, adapting, and validating a Human-Computer Trust Scale (HCTM) in human-robot interaction (HRI) context and its application to cobots. The Human-Robot Interaction Trust Scale (HRITS) involved 239 participants and included eleven items. The 2nd order CFA with a general factor called trust have proven to be empirically robust (CFI=.94; TLI=.93; SRMR=.04; and RMSEA=.05) [CR=.84; AVE=.58, and MaxRH=.92]; results indicated a good measurement of the general factor trust, and the model satisfied the criteria for measure trust. An analysis of the differences in perceptions of trust by gender was conducted using a t-test. This analysis showed that statistical differences by gender exist (p=.04). This study's results allowed for a better understanding of trust in HRI, specifically regarding cobots. The validation of a Portuguese scale for trust assessment in HRI can give a valuable contribution to designing collaborative environments between humans and robots.
2022
Authors
Silva, A; Simoes, AC; Blanc, R;
Publication
2022 IEEE 20TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INDUSTRIAL INFORMATICS (INDIN)
Abstract
Collaborative robots are being increasingly used by manufacturing companies due to their potential to help companies cope with market volatility. Before introducing this technology, companies face the decision phase where they determine the investment feasibility. Decision models for cobot adoption can assist decision-makers in this task, but they require previous identification of decision criteria. Since existing literature overlooked this issue, this study aims to provide a list of decision criteria that can be considered in the cobot adoption decision process. These criteria were identified by a literature review of the benefits, advantages, and disadvantages of cobot adoption. Results show that flexibility, competitiveness, ergonomics, quality, safety, space, mobility, ease of programming, technical features, human-robot collaboration, and productivity are important aspects to consider when deciding whether to invest in cobots. The findings of this study provide a better understanding of the decision process for cobot adoption by listing decision criteria along with some indicators, which is an important input for the design of a decision-making process.
2022
Authors
Fernandes, G; Lucas, P; Simoes, AC; Dalmarco, G;
Publication
2022 IEEE 28TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION (ICE/ITMC) & 31ST INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY, IAMOT JOINT CONFERENCE
Abstract
Innovation is one of the key aspects that drive economic growth and social welfare, one of the ways that it occurs is through technology transfer. However, using a patent to innovate through technology transfer is a complex process, full of uncertainties, and there is not a well-defined process available that enables entrepreneurs to develop business models based on patents. Therefore, this study aims to develop a methodology to support entrepreneurs in the development of businesses from patents available in technology transfer programs. The P2B methodology was developed within two research steps. Firstly, based on a structured literature review and on the case study analysis of the European Space Agency Business Incubation Center (ESA BIC), an initial conceptualization of the methodology was developed. Secondly, data was collected throughout thirteen semi-structured interviews with experts in technology transfer and management, innovation, and business model development to create the final proposed P2B methodology. The P2B methodology addresses the inherent challenges of the innovative business development process, specific to the technology transfer context, by providing a set of twenty-three activities, supported by sixteen tools, divided into four major phases: technology analysis, value analysis, business model, and business plan.
2022
Authors
Gama, LF; Simoes, AC;
Publication
2022 IEEE 28TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION (ICE/ITMC) & 31ST INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY, IAMOT JOINT CONFERENCE
Abstract
Among the different approaches to implementing Agility, the Scrum, created in the late 1980s, has stood out as the most used tool by the software development industry. Understand how the concepts underlying this approach, such as ceremonies and time boxes, have been adapted to meet the situation of telework imposed by social distancing to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, experienced by the elements of the software development teams, presents an opportunity to learn what are the most efficient ways to use its process. It was observed how Scrum was applied in practice by software development teams during the mandatory telework period and from there, it will be look for better ways to do it, either by developing new technological tools, or using existing tools, to support the ceremonies, or, by creating new processes to support such evolution on methodology's process.
2022
Authors
Simões, AC; Pinto, A; Santos, J; Pinheiro, S; Romero, D;
Publication
Journal of Manufacturing Systems
Abstract
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