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ARTICLE: Human-Robot Collaboration through Augmented Reality

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

Written by Dr Alan Burden, Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the Australian Cobotics Centre.

In previous articles, we delved into socio-technical systems (STS) and highlighted the importance of spatial design in shared human-robot environments. As we continue this exploration, this article will focus on technologies that show immense potential in improving the harmony between humans and cobotic systems. Our spotlight will be on augmented reality (AR), a technology poised to make human-cobot interactions more intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable. 

AR is a part of the ‘reality technologies’, often grouped under the umbrella term of extended reality (XR), which also includes virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR). These technologies merge the physical and digital worlds, creating innovative environments where humans and machines interact. AR stands out because it doesn’t replace our reality, as with VR, but instead enhances our existing environment by overlaying digital information.   

AR enhances our perception of the physical world by overlaying images, sounds, or other data, onto our physical environment. In cobotics, AR could serve as a communication bridge between humans and robots, facilitating a more intuitive and efficient collaboration. For example, AR can visually guide a human worker in a manufacturing plant, showing them how to operate a machine or assemble a product with the help of a robot. Similarly, AR could provide surgeons with real-time data during a robotic assistant procedure in a healthcare setting. AR offers opportunities to improve the efficiency of the task at hand and enhance the safety and effectiveness of human-robot collaboration. 

The potential of AR extends beyond communication. It also plays a crucial role in spatial design for shared human-robot spaces. AR can help visualise the optimal arrangement of a workspace, considering the movement patterns and tasks of both humans and robots, which could lead to safer, more efficient, and intuitive shared spaces. For example, in a warehouse, AR can help design a layout that minimises the risk of accidents between human workers and autonomous robots. By visualising the robots’ paths and highlighting potential danger zones, AR can contribute to a safer and more productive environment. 

However, the integration of AR into cobotics is not without challenges. Technical limitations, such as AR devices’ accuracy and reliability, can affect AR applications’ effectiveness. User acceptance is another critical factor. While AR can make human-robot collaboration more intuitive, users must adapt to a new way of working and interacting with technology. Ethical considerations, such as privacy and data security, must also be addressed. 

Despite these challenges, AR presents exciting opportunities for the future of cobotics and STS. It can make human-robot collaboration more accessible and user-friendly, opening new possibilities for automation in various industries. Moreover, as AR technology evolves, we can expect even more innovative applications that will further enhance human-robot collaboration. 

AR is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance human-robot collaboration in STS. By improving communication and contributing to the design of safer and more efficient shared spaces, AR can help us harness the full potential of cobotics. As we navigate the intersection of humans and technology, embracing tools like AR will be crucial in creating a harmonious and efficient future for human-robot collaboration. The journey towards this future is filled with challenges and exciting opportunities. As we continue to explore and innovate, we can look forward to a world where humans and robots work together seamlessly, each enhancing the capabilities of the other. 

ARTICLE: 6 Reasons Why We Need a Prototyping Toolkit for Designing Human-Robot Collaboration

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

In this article, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Stine Johansen and PhD Researcher, James Dwyer highlight the pressing need for a #prototyping toolkit to support the design process of human-robot collaboration (HRC).

As robots become increasingly integrated into industry, companies are grappling with uncertainties surrounding their implementation and task allocation. Developing a prototyping toolkit is one way to address these challenges.

By involving manufacturers and end-users early in the design process, we can harness their domain knowledge and tacit expertise to create meaningful outcomes to transform the future of manufacturing.

Read more HERE

 

 

ARTICLE: The Human Robot Workforce research program

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

To implement #collaborativerobotics effectively in #advancedmanufacturing, we must address the both the technological advancements required and the human and design factors that are associated with technological change. These areas form the focus of our research programs, each comprising several PhD projects that explore specific research questions.

Our Human Robot Workforce program is the first of our research programs where all of its PhD researchers have begun their projects. Today, we are delving a little deeper into the program and share the objectives of each project within it.

Program Leads: Dr Penny Williams & Prof greg hearn
Program Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Dr Melinda Laundon
PhD researchers: Jacqueline Greentree, Nisar Ahmed Channa, Akash Hettiarachchi, Phuong Anh Tran
Other Chief Investigators involved: Dr Sean Gallagher
Associate Investigators Dr Claire Mason & Dr Luca Casali

Read more HERE

 

 

Australian Manufacturing Week 2023

Posted on by Merryn Ballantyne
PhD researcher Jagannatha Pyaraka and research program co-lead, Dr Michelle Dunn

Australian Manufacturing Week was held in Melbourne from 9-12 May 2023.

It provided an incredible opportunity for me (PhD student, Jagannatha Pyaraka) to gain firsthand experience and insights into the world of cobotics in the manufacturing industry. Special thanks to Cornelius van Niekerk, Business Development Manager from Weld Australia for giving us the opportunity to share the stand. Representing the Australian Cobotics Centre (ACC) Jagannatha Pyaraka, Mats Isaksson, Michelle Dunn, Christopher McCarthy, and Anushani Bibile, showcased a demonstration featuring our new UFactory Xarm6 cobot.

Our demo aimed to demonstrate the potential of collaborative robots (cobots) in enhancing manufacturing processes. We highlighted how cobots, designed to work alongside humans, can improve productivity while ensuring safety. By employing the Media-pipe technology in conjunction with D435 RealSense camera, the cobots capability to accurately capture and follow the tip of presenter’s palm was
demonstrated.

Throughout the event, we had the opportunity to interact with a diverse audience. People were intrigued by the capabilities of cobots and had a keen interest in the ACC’s work. We engaged in discussions on various aspects, including safety, efficiency, integration, and the return on investments associated with implementing cobots in manufacturing processes. These conversations provided valuable insights into the practical challenges and applications of this emerging technology.

One particular highlight was the interaction with other exhibitors, who showcased their own advancements and trends in the industry. The most widely shown cobot application was welding. This exchange of ideas allowed us to broaden our perspectives and gain a better understanding of the future developments in cobotics.

The experience at Australian Manufacturing Week 2023 has not only provided exposure to practical applications but has also deepened my understanding of the challenges and opportunities that arise when implementing cobots. Witnessing the enthusiasm and interest of the audience reaffirmed the importance of the work carried out by the ACC and boosted my passion for further research in this field.

Looking ahead, it is evident that cobotics will continue to revolutionize the manufacturing industry. As we strive to improve safety, efficiency, and productivity, the ACC will play a vital role in driving innovation and shaping the future of cobotics. I am excited to be able pursue my research in this field and look forward to witnessing the continued growth and impact of collaborative robots in manufacturing
processes.

Overall, Australian Manufacturing Week 2023 was a remarkable experience that not only allowed us to showcase our demo but also provided valuable insights, connections, and inspiration for the future of cobotics and the ACC.

Weld Australia CEO Geoff Crittenden
PhD Researcher, Jagannatha Pyaraka & Postdoc, Dr Anushani Bibile
Swinburne University Lead, A/Prof Mats Isaksson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Designing Shared Human-Robot Spaces – The Impact that Spatial Design Has on Socio-Technical Systems

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

Written by Dr Alan Burden, Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the Australian Cobotics Centre.

In the era of rapidly advancing technology, socio-technical systems (STS) are becoming increasingly relevant as they help integrate humans and technology in many different domains. One such example of an STS is cobotics which aims towards task collaboration between humans and collaborative robots, working together on tasks in a shared environment.

In a previous article (ambitiously titled A Very Brief Introduction to Socio-technical Systems), I wrote about how STSs aim to combine social and technical elements to create efficient, safe, and productive human-robot collaborations (HRC). In this article, we will look at shared environments, or to call them by another name, human-cobot co-working spaces – and the 5 key considerations that should aim for better STS outcomes.

While not a new concept in many industries, the idea of shared environments, particularly those inhabited by humans and machines, draws upon elements of architecture, interior architecture, industrial design, and interaction design. The interdisciplinary nature of shared environments is vital in creating functional spaces for human-machine interaction, including human-robot activities. This multidiscipline approach ensures that all aspects of the environment contribute to a successful STS. The overlap between these disciplines provides the foundation for optimising safety, productivity, and satisfaction within a shared human-robot workspace.

A common element across all areas of a cobotic STS are the spatial requirements, as crowded workspaces can significantly impact the human’s well-being (both mental and physical) while also severely limiting the cobot’s effectiveness. A well-designed space can improve safety, productivity, and worker satisfaction. In contrast, a poorly designed space may lead to inefficiencies and accidents. Consequently, organisations must focus on spatial design to ensure the seamless integration of humans and robots in the workspace.

Frequently in analysing and designing STSs, it makes sense to consider a holistic approach to address both human and robotic needs. This approach includes understanding the unique challenges (and opportunities) presented by shared human-robot spaces and developing strategies to overcome potential pitfalls. Organisations can craft environments that harness the positives of human-robot partnerships while ensuring safety and satisfaction for all involved by focusing on the key factors that influence successful collaboration. The factors that promote effective collaboration and maximise the benefits of STS are:

1.      Safety and Accessibility: Ensuring the safety of both humans and robots is paramount. Spaces should be designed to prevent accidents, with clear paths for movement, adequate lighting, and appropriate barriers or markings to delineate shared areas. Additionally, spaces should be accessible and ergonomic for human workers, accommodating their needs and abilities.

2.      Flexibility and Adaptability: As technology and work processes evolve, it’s essential to design spaces that can quickly adapt to new requirements. Flexible and modular workstations, reconfigurable layouts, and scalable infrastructure can help organisations accommodate changes in technology and work processes.

3.      Zoning and Separation: While human-cobot interaction might be the focus of STSs, there will be instances where separation is necessary for safety or efficiency reasons. Organisations should consider zoning and separating spaces for different tasks, allowing for focused work and minimising distractions or hazards.

4.      Communication and Visibility: Effective communication between humans and robots is critical for successful collaboration. Spaces should facilitate clear lines of sight, allowing visual communication and awareness of each other’s actions. Integrating multi-modal communication technologies like screens, speakers, and sensors can enhance information sharing and collaboration.

5.      Comfort and Aesthetics: Creating a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing environment can significantly impact worker satisfaction and well-being. Natural light, greenery, and comfortable furniture can create a more pleasant and supportive workspace.

Implementing shared human-robot spaces often substantially improves productivity, safety, and worker satisfaction. For example, a manufacturing facility that integrates cobots on the assembly line may create zones where humans and robots work together on specific tasks, with clear visual cues and safety barriers to prevent accidents. In healthcare, a hospital may design a shared operating room with robotic surgical assistants, with ample space for human surgeons to navigate and interact with the robotic systems.

As technology advances and human-robot collaboration becomes more commonplace, the importance of spatial design in STS will only grow. Organisations should prioritise spatial design as a critical aspect of their STS strategy, ensuring that shared human-robot spaces are safe, functional, and adaptable. Researchers, designers, and engineers must also develop new design principles and best practices to accommodate the evolving nature of human-robot interactions.

Overall, the success of HRC in STSs relies heavily on thoughtful spatial design. By considering safety, accessibility, flexibility, adaptability, zoning, communication, and aesthetics, organisations can create effective shared spaces that promote seamless integration between humans and robots. Developing new design principles and best practices that adapt to the evolving nature of human-robot interactions is crucial. Organisations that invest in well-designed shared spaces will undoubtedly reap the benefits of increased productivity, safety, and worker satisfaction. Embracing the importance of spatial design in STS is a vital step towards a harmonious and efficient future for human-robot collaboration.

ARTICLE: Guidelines for Safe Collaborative Robot Design and Implementation

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

Congratulations to Dr Matthias Guertler and team (including Dr. Nathalie Sick, Gavin Paul, Marc Carmichael, Manisha Amin, Rebecca Grace, Sazzad Hussain, Laura Tomidei, Annika Wambsganss, Victor Hernandez Moreno, and Leila Frijat) on their Cobots Work Health & Safety project completed in partnership with the NSW Centre for Work Health and Safety and funded through the NSW Workers Compensation Operational Fund.

The team have developed guidelines, methods and principles to design safe cobots and cobot workplaces. These are fantastic resources for organisation who are planning on implementing collaborative robots (“cobots”) or are curious of how to work safely with cobots in general?

The project team have created a website full of useful resources that include:
– An introduction to, and general safety information, aspects of human-cobot collaboration.
– Guidance documents to assist in the planning of an upcoming or amended workplace.
– Checklists and assessments to assess an existing or future workplace’s safety features

Read more HERE

 

 

ARTICLE: Try-a-Trade, Gladstone

Posted on by Merryn Ballantyne

By Melinda Laundon, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, and Jacqueline Greentree, PhD Researcher, Human-Robot Workforce Program, Australian Cobotics Centre

Almost 200 Grade 9 and 10 girls from Gladstone and surrounds gathered at CQUniversity for Try-a-Trade on 15th March. This event brought together manufacturing, aerospace, energy, mining, engineering and construction industry businesses and stakeholders from government and education to encourage female high school students to learn about a range of careers in STEM and try out some practical activities that they might encounter in STEM jobs.

The event was organised by the Gladstone Engineering Alliance in partnership with the National Association of Women in Construction and the Queensland Government‘s Department of Employment, Small Business and Training and Gladstone Manufacturing Hub.

It is important to engage high school students early to consider careers in manufacturing. The lower numbers of women in manufacturing make it particularly important to provide female students with opportunities to consider and experience diverse manufacturing career options. In Queensland, 29% of the current manufacturing workforce are women. While the proportion of women employed in manufacturing has grown dramatically over the past decade, most are in clerical or administrative roles. Only 11% of women in manufacturing are technicians and trade workers[1].

Australian Cobotics Centre industry partner Weld Australia hosted a stall at Try-a-Trade with two Soldamatic welding simulators. This popular activity allows people to experience welding in a safe environment. It also provided a fun competition between girls to compare their welding accuracy. Weld Australia’s Regional Training Coordinator, Adam Coorey said:

“To address the skills shortage, we need to give a greater range of access to the full available workforce. By utilising augmented reality technology, students who would normally shy away from the heat and sparks of a welding bay can try welding in a safe environment.  This accessible technology gives students the opportunity to experience a career that they may thrive in”.

At the Cobotics Centre stall, we discussed the impact of cobots and other advanced technology on future work. We also asked students to think about the skills and attributes that would be required in the future to work with a cobot as a team member. They came up with many creative insights, including:

  • Problem solving skills
  • Patience
  • Understanding human interactions
  • Coding
  • Good communication
  • Independence
  • Curiosity
  • Designing
  • Digital technology education
  • To be able to build
  • Understanding of mechanics

[1] Queensland Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water (2023) Women in Manufacturing Strategy.

ARTICLE: Cutting-edge careers

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

Research Program Lead Dr Penny Williams featured in The Australian today in an article entitled, “The rise of AI is shaking up the world of work”, part of the Women in Education, Cutting Edge Careers special edition.

Penny talked about her research with the Australian Cobotics Centre and the opportunities available for women working with AI and robots in the future. “Women should consider courses that, in addition to giving them a trade or professional qualification, will help them develop digital skills, including basic coding. (They’ll also require) entrepreneurial thinking, strong communication and problem-solving skills, and the ability to collaborate with both humans and machines.”

Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gGjv_zen

Robotic Vision Summer School: An Overview from our PhD Researchers

Posted on by Merryn Ballantyne

The Robotics Vision Summer School (RVSS) is an annual event that brings together researchers and students from all over the world to learn about the latest developments in vision-based control methods for robotics. The program features a series of lectures, tutorials, and hands-on projects designed to teach participants the fundamentals of robot vision, spatial awareness, and visual learning.

The program is an excellent opportunity for students to network with other researchers, learn from leading experts in the field, and gain valuable hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology.  Two of our PhD researchers, Jagannatha Pyaraka and Nadimul Haque attended the 2023 RVSS and shared some highlights from their experiences.

What were some of the topics covered during the Robotic Vision Summer School, and which were the most interesting to you?

Jagannatha: The most interesting topics was the vision & deep learning. Deep dive on “How the way we see is different from what a robot looks and perceives” and “how to train a robot to finish a task done from that vision” were very valuable.

Nadimul: RVSS covered mostly vision based control methods. There were segments on spatial awareness, visual learning, reinforcement learning, and robot vision. To me, I felt that robot vision that covered camera calibration, visual servoing were the most interesting topics because they were quite new to me. Visual learning was also very interesting because it covered a lot of theoretical and philosophical ideas regarding AI as well.

What were some of the hands-on activities or projects that you worked on during the summer school, and what did you learn from them?

Jagannatha: On day 2 we were given a RC car and brief about the outcome to be delivered by the end of week for a final competition. The task was to present an autonomous driving car that detects turns and steers accordingly completing a lap in shortest time possible. As I was completely new to deep learning, this kind of gave me a brief idea on robot data training, prediction and optimisation.

Nadimul: During the summer school, we had to do a project that involved controlling a robot with visual data. Although the problem itself was trivial, it highlighted the importance of spatial awareness and uncertainty modelling, rather than simply learning from raw visual data.

What were some of the highlights of the program for you?

Jagannatha:  Learning (Deep dive sessions*): One of the key highlights is the opportunity to learning from domain experts. Insight on latest advances in robotic vision, including techniques and technologies to improve robot perception and decision making.

Hands-on-experience: Allowing us to work on RC car has given an invaluable experience in terms of implementing our learning to real-world setting.

Networking: During breaks and other free time I was able to network with fellow researchers, field experts which helped me to build relations that can be beneficial in near future. I did discuss my research with them and got to know a list of important things to consider while solving my research problem.

Exposure to research: I was able to get good exposure and relate with common problems faced in current research. This was a good opportunity to learn about on-going projects and emerging trends.

Nadimul:  The highlights of the program are surely, the deep dive lectures given by Richard Hartey, Hanna Kurniawati and Miaomiao Liu. An hour and a half of their talks didn’t only comprise of their current and recent works, but showed a glimpse of their thought process, which I think is much, much more important for an HDR student to grasp. Of course, the lectures given by Peter Corke, Simon Lucey and others were also quite interesting. Being close to such influential people and hearing from them not only as tutors, but also as humans, was a great privilege.

What did you learn that you think will be most useful in your future work or studies?

Jagannatha: The lectures /deep dives on below topics are most useful for my future work are:

  • Deep learning – Various algorithms for decision making, pattern recognition, optimisation
  • Object recognition and tracking – Detecting and tracking important objects in given environment
  • Fusion of sensors
  • Spatial awareness
  • Human robot interaction – Better ways in which robots can communicate and interact with humans which helps in collaborative tasks

Nadimul: I think the biggest thing I learnt from RVSS is to take things step by step and find the time to sit back even in the busiest time, to think about whatever idea I might have in a broader perspective. The lectures, especially the deep dives helped me to gather my thoughts and ideas about my PhD project, which I think will shape my future works.

Apart from the amazing program, what else did you get up to?

Jagannatha: Almost all the evenings we had fun activities – which included networking with fellow researchers, bon-fire, going to the beach, game night, panel discussion – In which we were allowed to ask any questions to the experts such as their experience, thoughts about future developments, failures, and career advice.

Nadimul: RVSS hosted students from different universities, both from Australia and abroad. Most of them were more experienced, and in a more advanced stage in their PhDs (6-10 months in). It was a pleasure to talk and learn about their journeys, how they fixed their PhD topic and ideas etc. It was a great experience in meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds and learn from them as well.