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Robotic Co-Workers for Work and Workforce Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 41233

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sarah Fletcher

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Guest Editor

Industrial Psychology and Human Factors, Centre for Structures, Assembly and Intelligent Automation, Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, UK
Interests: human-systems interaction; human-robot collaboration; industrial psychology; robot ethics and standards

Dr. Gilbert Tang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Centre for Structures, Assembly and Intelligent Automation, Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, UK
Interests: human-robot collaboration; robotic system integration; human-robot interface; multimodal Interaction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ongoing advances in the capabilities, safety and accessibility of digital technologies and automation mean we are currently on the cusp of a seismic transformation of work places and processes. It is inevitable that robots will be increasingly deployed across occupational sectors to fulfil tasks that they can perform better than people, or are unhealthy for people to do. However, contrary to fears that are often reported in the media, robots will not directly replace workers because internal processes will continue to rely on human physical and cognitive skills. What it means is that work will be shared in human-robot team collaborations rather than by traditional human-human work arrangements. By distributing tasks according to robot / human capability, these new working relationships will enable people of varying skills and experience to continue working, thereby enhancing workforce inclusivity and sustainability. Moreover, in this era of the Covid-19 pandemic, human-robot collaboration will also sustain operations and productivity by facilitating human social distancing.

This Special Issue aims to gather a cross-disciplinary selection of high-quality research papers on the application of robotics to sustain human work and workforces with topics that may include, but are not restricted to:

Case studies in occupational sectors
Cross-sectoral human-system design principles
Organizational structures, culture and change
Methods and models for human-robot analysis
Understanding relationships in dyadic and multi-agent teams
Physical and cognitive response modelling
Visualization and simulation
Sociotechnical and Sociomaterial perspectives

Dr. Sarah Fletcher
Dr. Gilbert Tang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

human-robot interaction
human-robot collaboration
workforce sustainability
productivity
technology adoption
user acceptance

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 5940 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Efficiency and Effectiveness of Robotic Process Automation in Human Resource Management

by Syaiful Anwar Mohamed, Moamin A. Mahmoud, Mohammed Najah Mahdi and Salama A. Mostafa

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 3920; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073920 - 26 Mar 2022

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 11149

Abstract

Automation technology is changing and transforming innovation into the industrial landscape and Human Resources (HR) should ensure to adapt and practice its deployment to realise its benefits in time and for cost savings. The implementation of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in HR can help to offer better service to ensure compliance of the processes with standards and regulations. RPA is a software technology that manages software robots to emulate human actions when interacting with digital platforms. RPA is a solution that could perform repetitions to take over activities carried out by humans. However, a robot is not thought to be able to replace the HR but is, instead, useful to support driven processes. The purpose of the study is to prove the efficiency and effectiveness of RPA in the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) compared to the manual process performed by a human. Different types of components and characteristics were identified to adopt RPA in HRMS based on the data measurement in the implementation process. This study designs and develops an HRMS model using RPA tools to achieve the target process. The model was developed based on a case study of an existing model of RPA in HRMS from an IT consultancy industry. In the HR process, the project uses an application focusing on the parameters of gathering, storing and accessing employees’ information from other modules. Lastly, the gaps in the HRMS to improve productivity are evaluated and explained. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robotic Co-Workers for Work and Workforce Sustainability)

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24 pages, 928 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Workplace 4.0: Exploring the Implications of Technology Adoption in Digital Manufacturing on a Sustainable Workforce

by Natalie Leesakul, Anne-Marie Oostveen, Iveta Eimontaite, Max L. Wilson and Richard Hyde

Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3311; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063311 - 11 Mar 2022

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 13104

Abstract

As part of the Industry 4.0 movement, the introduction of digital manufacturing technologies (DMTs) poses various concerns, particularly the impact of technology adoption on the workforce. In consideration of adoption challenges and implications, various studies explore the topic from the perspective of safety, socio-economic impact, technical readiness, and risk assessment. This paper presents mixed methods research to explore the challenges and acceptance factors of the adoption of human-robot collaboration (HRC) applications and other digital manufacturing technologies from the perspective of different stakeholders: from manufacturing employees at all levels to legal experts to consultants to ethicists. We found that some of the prominent challenges and tensions inherent in technology adoption are job displacement, employee’s acceptance, trust, and privacy. This paper argues that it is crucial to understand the wider human factors implications to better strategize technology adoption; therefore, it recommends interventions targeted at individual employees and at the organisational level. This paper contributes to the roadmap of responsible DMT and HRC implementation to encourage a sustainable workforce in digital manufacturing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robotic Co-Workers for Work and Workforce Sustainability)

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19 pages, 10084 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Graphical Instructions Result in Improved Attitudes and Decreased Task Completion Time in Human–Robot Co-Working: An Experimental Manufacturing Study

by Iveta Eimontaite, David Cameron, Joe Rolph, Saeid Mokaram, Jonathan M. Aitken, Ian Gwilt and James Law

Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3289; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063289 - 11 Mar 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2976

Abstract

Collaborative robots offer opportunities to increase the sustainability of work and workforces by increasing productivity, quality, and efficiency, whilst removing workers from hazardous, repetitive, and strenuous tasks. They also offer opportunities for increasing accessibility to work, supporting those who may otherwise be disadvantaged through age, ability, gender, or other characteristics. However, to maximise the benefits, employers must overcome negative attitudes toward, and a lack of confidence in, the technology, and must take steps to reduce errors arising from misuse. This study explores how dynamic graphical signage could be employed to address these issues in a manufacturing task. Forty employees from one UK manufacturing company participated in a field experiment to complete a precision pick-and-place task working in conjunction with a collaborative robotic arm. Twenty-one participants completed the task with the support of dynamic graphical signage that provided information about the robot and the activity, while the rest completed the same task with no signage. The presence of the signage improved the completion time of the task as well as reducing negative attitudes towards the robots. Furthermore, participants provided with no signage had worse outcome expectancies as a function of their response time. Our results indicate that the provision of instructional information conveyed through appropriate graphical signage can improve task efficiency and user wellbeing, contributing to greater workforce sustainability. The findings will be of interest for companies introducing collaborative robots as well as those wanting to improve their workforce wellbeing and technology acceptance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robotic Co-Workers for Work and Workforce Sustainability)

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20 pages, 908 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Smooth and Resilient Human–Machine Teamwork as an Industry 5.0 Design Challenge

by Eija Kaasinen, Anu-Hanna Anttila, Päivi Heikkilä, Jari Laarni, Hanna Koskinen and Antti Väätänen

Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2773; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052773 - 26 Feb 2022

Cited by 68 | Viewed by 7118

Abstract

Smart machine companions such as artificial intelligence (AI) assistants and collaborative robots are rapidly populating the factory floor. Future factory floor workers will work in teams that include both human co-workers and smart machine actors. The visions of Industry 5.0 describe sustainable, resilient, and human-centered future factories that will require smart and resilient capabilities both from next-generation manufacturing systems and human operators. What kinds of approaches can help design these kinds of resilient human–machine teams and collaborations within them? In this paper, we analyze this design challenge, and we propose basing the design on the joint cognitive systems approach. The established joint cognitive systems approach can be complemented with approaches that support human centricity in the early phases of design, as well as in the development of continuously co-evolving human–machine teams. We propose approaches to observing and analyzing the collaboration in human–machine teams, developing the concept of operations with relevant stakeholders, and including ethical aspects in the design and development. We base our work on the joint cognitive systems approach and propose complementary approaches and methods, namely: actor–network theory, the concept of operations and ethically aware design. We identify their possibilities and challenges in designing and developing smooth human–machine teams for Industry 5.0 manufacturing systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robotic Co-Workers for Work and Workforce Sustainability)

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27 pages, 1803 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Human, Organisational and Societal Factors in Robotic Rail Infrastructure Maintenance

by David Golightly, Jamie Chan-Pensley, Nastaran Dadashi, Shyma Jundi, Brendan Ryan and Amanda Hall

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2123; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042123 - 13 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2217

Abstract

Robotics are set to play a significant role in the maintenance of rail infrastructure. However, the introduction of robotics in this environment requires new ways of working for individuals, teams and organisations and needs to reflect societal attitudes if it is to achieve sustainable goals. The following paper presents a qualitative analysis of interviews with 25 experts from rail and robotics to outline the human and organisational issues of robotics in the rail infrastructure environment. Themes were structured around user, team, organisational and societal issues. While the results point to many of the expected issues of robotics (trust, acceptance, business change), a number of issues were identified that were specific to rail. Examples include the importance of considering the whole maintenance task lifecycle, conceptualizing robotic teamworking within the structures of rail maintenance worksites, the complex upstream (robotics suppliers) and downstream (third-party maintenance contractors) supply chain implications of robotic deployment and the public acceptance of robotics in an environment that often comes into direct contact with passenger and people around the railways. Recommendations are made in the paper for successful, human-centric rail robotics deployment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robotic Co-Workers for Work and Workforce Sustainability)

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17 pages, 2542 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainability of Project-Based Learning by Incorporating Transdisciplinary Design in Fabrication of Hydraulic Robot Arm

by Taha Farid, Sara Ali, Muhammad Sajid and Khalid Akhtar

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7949; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147949 - 16 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3266

Abstract

Wider acceptance of project-based learning (PjBL) in the tertiary education industry has been obstructed by its resource-intensive nature. This paper introduces a transdisciplinary variant of PjBL for undergraduate engineering students through a multidisciplinary complex engineering problem requiring the design and fabrication of a hydraulic robot arm. The robotics-inspired transdisciplinary PjBL variant was first evaluated through student feedback using the Chi-square hypothesis test, which, at Chi-square (4, N = 101) = 129.12; p < 0.05, revealed a statistically significant difference in the proportion of the student feedback in favor of the PjBL for sustainability of transdisciplinary project-based learning. Furthermore, the students’ PjBL and PbBL scores were subjected to the Mann–Whitney U test which concluded the effectiveness of PjBL against PbBL with statistical significance, U(N = 101) = 192.00, z = −11.826, p < 0.05. The results indicate that the novel transdisciplinary project-based learning (PjBL) approach develops students’ practical engineering knowledge spanning multiple disciplines, thereby resulting in a sustainable concept of project-based learning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Robotic Co-Workers for Work and Workforce Sustainability)

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