Interactive Robotics to Aid Physically Disabled People in Manufacturing Tasks

Automation is commonly considered for application in manufacturing industry as a means of increasing productivity on repetitive assembly tasks. Attempts to automate production processes fully have been hindered by the relatively slow development of suitable technology that is cost-effective in comparison with human labour. It is known that automation is successful for high volume, rigidly structured tasks that require little decision-making. It is not so successful in the less structured tasks where human decision-making plays an important role. It is in manufacturing scenarios that rely on human decision-making that people with impaired motor function may use appropriate handling devices to carry out limited manual tasks within a more complex job activity. Demographic changes are resulting in an ageing population, a shrinking labour force and, as a result, a need for industry to consider alternative sources of labour. Most previous attempts to use robots in vocational rehabilitation have been made on an ...