Human Robot Collaboration for Enhancing Work Activities
Li Liu1, Andrew J Schoen2, Curt Henrichs2
1University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA, and School of Business Administration, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China.
Human Factors
|March 29, 2022
Summary
Integrating collaborative robots (cobots) requires careful task allocation to balance productivity and human workload. Optimizing cobot-human task assignment is key to managing physical workload (PWL) and mental workload (MWL) effectively.
Area of Science:
- Human-computer interaction
- Industrial engineering
- Occupational ergonomics
Background:
- Collaborative robots (cobots) are increasingly integrated into workplaces.
- Optimizing cobot-human collaboration is crucial for maximizing benefits.
- Understanding workload trade-offs is essential for successful integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the trade-offs between productivity, physical workload (PWL), and mental workload (MWL) during cobot integration.
- To optimize task allocation between humans and cobots in manual work settings.
Main Methods:
- A data-driven analysis using the O*NET Content Model evaluated 16 jobs.
- Work activities were ranked for cobot substitution potential.
- Physical and mental workloads were estimated using established indices.
- An algorithm optimized task assignment for humans and cobots.
Main Results:
- Cobot task reassignment led to varied human workload changes; some decreased, some increased, and some remained unchanged.
- Residual human capacity was utilized for critical, high-productivity tasks.
- The study identified specific job contexts where workload changes occurred.
Conclusions:
- Cobot integration's impact on human workload is not universally beneficial and depends on careful consideration of trade-offs.
- The developed framework can identify relationships between productivity and worker tolerances for task integration.
- This approach aids in strategically implementing cobots to optimize both productivity and worker well-being.
