Robot safety standards defines Collaborative Operation as a state in which purposely designed robots work in direct cooperation with a human within a defined workspace. That is, an operator and an industrial robot complete assembly tasks at the collaborative workspace. A prerequisite to ensuring safety during all phases of operation is an understanding of the nature of hazards pertinent to collaborative systems. An automotive assembly station, where plastic panels are assembled on a continuously moving line, formed the basis for research operations meant to understand safety issues when a large industrial robot aids an operator in assembly tasks. This led to the development of a laboratory demonstrator whose design and functioning will be presented in this article. Additionally, the hazards identified during risk assessment along with measures to mitigate the associated risks will be presented in order to highlight the nature of hazards pertinent to collaborative systems.

This thesis pertains to industrial safety in relation to human-robot collaboration. The aim is to enhance understanding of the nature of systems where large industrial robots collaborate with humans to complete assembly tasks. This understanding may support development and safe operations of future collaborative systems.

Industrial robots are widely used to automate manufacturing operations across several industries. The automotive industry is the largest user of robots and have identified robot-based automation as a strategy to improve efficiency in manufacturing operations.

Recently, a class of machines referred to as collaborative robots have been developed by robot manufacturers to support operators in assembly tasks. The use of these robots to support human workers in an industrial context are referred to as collaborative operations.

Presently, collaborative robots have limited reach and load carrying capacity compared to standard industrial robots. Large/standard industrial robots are widely used for applications such as welding or painting. They can, in principle support operators in assembly tasks as well.

Two laboratory demonstrators representing the final results from a series of research activities will be presented. They were developed to investigate issues related to personnel and process safety while working with large industrial robots in collaborative operations. The demonstrators were partially based on assembly workstations that are currently operational and they exemplify challenges faced by the automotive industry.

Demonstrator-based Research, a methodology for collaborative research that emphasizes development of demonstrators as a research tool, forms the rationale for carrying out research operations presented in this thesis. An evaluation of the laboratory demonstrators by industrial participants suggests an increased interest and confidence in collaborative operations with large robots. The demonstrators have served as a tentative platform for participants to identify and discuss manufacturing and safety challenges in relation to their organization.

A main outcome presented in this thesis relates to specifying requirements for introducing robots in a human-populated environment. Introducing robotic systems in new environments requires reconsideration of the nature of the hazards particular to the domain. An analysis of the laboratory demonstrators suggest that, in addition to hazards associated with normal functioning of the system, limitations in human cognition must be considered. These results will be exemplified and discussed in the context of situational and mode awareness. Additionally, a model of a collaborative workstation will be presented in terms of three constituents – workspace, tasks and interaction.

This is particularly significant considering the direction of present-day research aimed at introducing robots across various industries and working environments. In response to this trend, this thesis discusses the relevance of Interactive Research and its emphasis on joint learning that goes on between academic researchers and industrial participants as a valuable principle for collaborative research.

In order for humans and robots to collaborate on an assembly line, safety of operations is a prerequisite. In this article, two assembly stations where a large industrial robots collaborate with humans will be analysed with the aim to 1. determine the characteristics of hazards associated with human-robot interaction and 2. design solutions that can mitigate risks associated with these hazards. To support the aim of this article, a literature review will attempt to characterize automation and detail the problems associated with human-automation interaction. The analysis points at situational awareness and mode-awareness as contributing factors to operator and process safety. These underlying mechanisms, if recognised by the risk assessment team as hazards, can mitigate risks of operator injury or production delays. This article details the function of visual and physical interfaces that allow operators to comprehend system-state in order to avoid undesirable situations

Activities to support manufacturing research are carried out with the intention to gain knowledge of industrial problems and provide solutions that addresses these issues. In order for solution to be viable to the industry, research activities are carried out in close collaboration with participants from the industry, academia and research institutions. Interactive research approach motivates participants with multi-disciplinary perspective to collaborate and emphasizes joint learning in the change process. This article, presents a methodology, where participants with different expertise can collaborate to develop safety solutions. The concept of a demonstrator, which represents cumulative result of a series of research activities, is presented as a tool to showcase functioning and design intent in a collaborative research environment. The results of a pilot study, where manufacturing professionals evaluated design decisions that resulted in a demonstrator, will be presented. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Risk assessment is a systematic and iterative process, which involves risk analysis, where probable hazards are identified, and then corresponding risks are evaluated along with solutions to mitigate the effect of these risks. In this article, the outcome of a risk assessment process will be detailed, where a large industrial robot is used as an intelligent and flexible lifting tool that can aid operators in assembly tasks. The realization of a collaborative assembly station has several benefits, such as increased productivity and improved ergonomic work environment. The article will detail the design of the layout of a collaborative assembly workstation, which takes into account the safety and productivity concerns of automotive assembly plants. The hazards associated with hand-guided collaborative operations will also be presented.

Risk assessment is a sequential process which requires understanding the hazards and analyzing risks associated, to determine required safety measures, like safeguarding to mitigate the risks to an acceptable level. In this article a thorough task-based risk assessment process is conducted in the early stage of layout design and building of a collaborative cell for sealing application performed in aircraft industries using a medium sized industrial robot system integrated with safety control functions. This article will also discuss how simulation could contribute in eliminating the threats as required by the safety standards before investing in equipment for collaborative cell layout.

The perceived benefits of large industrial robots for collaborative operations are characteristics such as long reach with heavy load carrying capability. Collaborative operations refers to situations where operators and robots share a workspace to complete tasks in close proximity. This mode of operation coupled with the physical characteristics of large robots represents high risks to injury and for these reasons, the safeguarding of the workspaces needs to be achieved in conjunction with the tasks to be performed within the workstation. This article will detail two workstations that was developed in a laboratory environment and are partial results of a research project titled ToMM2, whose aim was to understand safety issues associated with collaborative operations with large robots.

As fenceless human-robot collaborative (HRC) production layouts are developed as a viable alternative to traditional set-ups, risk assessment of such installations becomes highly complex. The involved risks include new challenges in the form of previously non-encountered dynamic hazards, which demand innovative solutions to ensure human occupational safety. This paper aims to investigate the application of design automation in providing means of incorporating risk assessment in the early stages of development of production layouts. The result is a conceptual framework for a decision support tool with which the safety aspects of an HRC application can be evaluated before installation.

Risk assessment is a systematic and iterative process which involves risk analysis where the probable hazards are identified and corresponding risks are evaluated along with solutions to mitigate the effect of these risks. In this article the outcome of a risk assessment process will be detailed where a large industrial robot is being used as a intelligent and flexible lifting tool that can aid operators in assembly tasks. The realization of a collaborative assembly station has several benefits such as increased productivity and improved ergonomic work environment. The article will detail the design of the layout of a collaborative assembly cell which takes into account the safety and productivity concerns of automotive assembly plants.

International safety standards state that risk assessment is the first step in understanding and eliminating hazardous work environment. The traditional method of risk assessment using Job Safety Analysis, where sequential tasks of the operator are analysed for potential risks, needs to be adapted to applications where humans and robots collaborate to complete assembly tasks. This article proposes a novel approach by placing equal emphasis on various participants working within their workspaces. An industrial case study wil be used to showcase the merits of the process when used at an early stage in the development of a collaborative assembly cell. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.