Enabling Human Robot Interaction in flexible robotic assembly lines: an Augmented Reality based software suite

Abstract This paper presents an Augmented Reality (AR) based software suite for supporting operators in production systems that employ mobile robots These robot workers may increase assembly system’s flexibility while supporting humans in assembly given their ability to navigate to different workstations and change tools for performing various assembly tasks. Driven by the need to immerse the human in the execution loop, the discussed AR based framework aims to enable their direct communication and interaction of human operations with a) the robot coworkers providing them online task instructions and b) the central execution system through natural means of communication such as virtual buttons. The developed tool has been tested in a case study inspired from the automotive industry showing that it may facilitate the communication between the humans and mobile robots increasing human operators’ job quality while supporting them during collaborative assembly.