Document

Author
Iveta Eimontaitre and Sarah Fletcher
Abstract
Robots, although not new in manufacturing, are still only just being directly integrated with human operators. Although timely and measured human factors integration in technology development can increase its acceptance, the impacts on manufacturing operators are still largely unknown. The proposed work described in this paper discusses the SHERLOCK (seamless and safe human-centred robotic applications for novel collaborative workplace) project approach to human factors integration that aims to develop a standardised tool for evaluating the impacts of robotics in manufacturing (psychological factors assessment framework). Four industrial use case studies of new collaborative applications will allow investigations of changes in operators’ psychological states depending on the robot characteristics and assembly requirements. This analysis will enable the development of the framework, which will allow quicker assessment of psychological factors and recommendations for operator needs and requirements in a variety of manufacturing applications.