A User Study for the Evaluation of Adaptive Interaction Systems for Inclusive Industrial Workplaces

IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, vol. 19, pp. 3300–3310

Abstract

In recent years, production systems have become highly sophisticated and complex. As a result, while on the one hand, the least-skilled labor has been partially displaced by machines, high-skilled labor is more required to supervise and control advanced automation systems. In many cases, the complexity of machines implies an increased complexity of human–machine interfaces (HMIs), which are the main point of contact between the operator and the machine. To enable effective use of HMIs and to enable their usage by workers with different knowledge and capabilities, novel design approaches have been proposed. In particular, in this article, we consider the approach developed in the framework of the European research project INCLUSIVE, which aimed at designing industrial HMIs that adapt to the skills and capabilities of human operators. As a case study, we consider an adaptive interaction system for the woodworking industry and present an extensive evaluation carried out in real production environment with shopfloor workers. The effectiveness of the INCLUSIVE approach has been assessed with subjective and objective measurements and compared to that of interaction systems customarily used in industry. Results have shown that users appreciated the INCLUSIVE system and largely preferred it over the customary system. Moreover, with regard to objective performance-related measurements, they performed better when using the INCLUSIVE system since they received tailored guidance during the considered working tasks. Note to Practitioners— This article was motivated by the fact that advanced automation systems are often highly complex for human operators. To address this problem, we focus on the importance of designing the automation system around users and discuss an approach for adaptive automation, called INCLUSIVE. Its main feature is that it adapts the human–machine interface (HMI) according to operator’s skills, capabilities, and current mental fatigue. In this article, we provide an extensive evaluation of the INCLUSIVE system, considering a company producing woodworking machines as a use case. Assessment was carried out in the company shopfloor, considering real workers, and the INCLUSIVE system was compared with the customary HMI running on the company machines. The results of our study suggest that adapting the interaction to operator’s needs allows better working performance while letting workers more satisfied with the use of the system.

Authors 12

1. Valeria Villani

   University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering (DISMI), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy

2. Lorenzo Sabattini

   University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering (DISMI), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy

3. Giorgia Zanelli

   SCM Group (Italy)

   Affiliation as printed

   SCM Group, Rimini, Italy

4. Enrico Callegati

   SCM Group (Italy)

   Affiliation as printed

   SCM Group, Rimini, Italy

5. Benjamin Bezzi

   Central Institute for Labour Protection

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Ergonomics, Laboratory of Social Psychology, Central Institute for Labour Protection–National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland

6. Paulina Barańska

   Central Institute for Labour Protection

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Ergonomics, Laboratory of Social Psychology, Central Institute for Labour Protection–National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland

7. Zofia Mockałło

   Central Institute for Labour Protection

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Ergonomics, Laboratory of Social Psychology, Central Institute for Labour Protection–National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland

8. Dorota Żołnierczyk-Zreda

   Central Institute for Labour Protection

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Ergonomics, Laboratory of Social Psychology, Central Institute for Labour Protection–National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland

9. Julia N. Czerniak Aachen Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

10. Verena Nitsch Aachen Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics

    RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

11. Alexander Mertens Aachen Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics

    RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

12. Cesare Fantuzzi

    University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering (DISMI), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy