H2020 ERC - Starting Grant 2019-2024
Ergo-Lean
Rethinking Human Ergonomics in Lean Manufacturing and Service Industry: Towards Adaptive Robots with Anticipatory Behaviours (Ergo-Lean)
Abstract: Ergo-Lean proposes to study human ergonomics during complex human-robot-environment interactions, and investigate methods to anticipate the effect of worker actions in the short, middle and long term. It explores the potential of collaborative robotics technology to deliver an original set of anticipatory behaviors that contribute to the improvement of human physical factors during interaction. Ergo-Lean will create radically new Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) systems where the robot and human directly interact, forming a dyad which optimally solves manufacturing problems in the environment, with the robot flexibly contributing to ergonomic improvement of workplace conditions. To achieve this, the research will be articulated along five multidisciplinary scientific objectives to: i) Understand and formulate human ergonomics during dynamic interactions; ii) Investigate ways of applying the HRC technology to the mitigation of occupational risks; iii) Evaluate the influence of feedback interfaces for ergonomic coordination of motor redundancy; iv) Study shared authority models for ergonomic HRC systems; and v) Challenge and demonstrate the improved adaptability and acceptability of Ergo-Lean systems. Ergo-Lean will have profound socio-economic impacts by improving workers’ wellbeing and contributing to productivity.