Augmenting the One-Worker-Multiple-Machines System: A Softbot Approach to Support the Operator 5.0

Industry 4.0/5.0 workplaces are characterized by humans surrounded by massive digitalization, huge data generation, and data-driven management. However, this brings more complexity to the operators as they are exposed to vast amounts of data to reason about as well as to many situations of overwhelming cognitive load, leading them to potentially less assertive and stressful decision-making. This becomes challenging when operators should manage two or more machines simultaneously as in a ‘One-Worker-Multiple-Machines’ (OWMM) working environment, including critical processes and equipment. This paper proposes a softbot approach to address these issues devising an OWMM smart cockpit environment where an intelligent softbot supports an operator in several production situations. A software prototype was developed to show the potential and benefits of the softbot approach in OWMM environments.