Competency-Based Development and Implementation of a Learning Factory Environment for Human-Robot-Interaction

Human-Robot-Interaction (HRI) refers to the interaction between humans and robots, particularly in an industrial setting. Collaborative robots (cobots) play a crucial role in facilitating this collaboration. Their defining qualities are their capacity to forego complicated safety peripherals and facilitate adaptable integration into manufacturing and assembly procedures. Several methods and concepts already exist to seamlessly integrate cobots into companies’ workflows, notably those of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Nonetheless, methodological approaches for integrating hybrid assembly systems in learning factories remain deficient, particularly regarding imparting fundamental knowledge in these domains and the practical implementation of HRI methods. Subsequently, this paper describes the application and extension of an established competency-based approach for implementing a learning factory environment that teaches the relevant fundamentals of HRI and methods for integrating collaborative robots. The approach is methodologically expanded, and the implementation of a socio-technical learning environment is described in detail to fulfil the aforementioned demands. Finally, the extended methodology is validated by deriving a socio-technical infrastructure for future HRI modules from previously defined competencies.