Projects
We would like to present previous and current human-centered projects manage by the Operator 4.0 research network in this web page.
LEONARDO
The LEONARDO project aims to transform Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) education by establishing innovative teaching methods, materials, and tools with a human-centric approach in the context of the industry 5.0 paradigm. In practice, the project will leverage an industry 5.0 replica of a brewing system as a hands-on learning environment for IEM students. LEONARDO will thus foster the entrepreneurial skills of IEM students by providing an applied learning environment to develop and test ideas. The brewing system called LEAF (Learning and Experimenting open-Access Factory) will facilitate innovative learning approaches as well as new teaching methods. In a broader scope, LEONARDO is committed to strengthening the education & training systems and triggering a modernisation of Industrial Engineering and Management towards human-centricity. LEONARDO also intends to shape the future of higher education institutions (HEI) by equipping individuals with the skills, knowledge, and tools they need to thrive in an ever-evolving industrial environment. In that context, the project aims to nurture a European community of faculty and HEI staff committed to reinforcing the education & training systems and triggering a modernisation of IEM education in the light of human-centricity in Industry 5.0.
Host institute: University of Calabria
RESILIENCE
RESILIENCE identifies digital twin (DT) technology, prescriptive analytics (PsA), building information modelling (BIM) and a structured On-the-Job Training (OJT) strategy as the cutting-edge enablers of a novel training paradigm, called “training-on-the-go” or “prescriptive training”, according to which training is not scheduled long before the actual performance, but only when and if needed. Thanks to the integration of predictive/prescriptive methods, knowledge management and representation techniques and decision support methodologies, it is possible to recommend “what should be done” based on context-specific data collected from the shop floor. Digital training environments recreating faithfully the future operational context that workers would likely face will be generated thanks to BIM and digital twin data and models. In order to maximise the training effectiveness, a structured OJT strategy will be developed which leverages learning/forgetting curves that integrate the task complexity and worker-related factors (including their background knowledge, psycho-physical attitude, personal skills, experience with the task, experience with similar tasks, age, and gender).
Host institute: University of Calabria
DESDEMONA
DESDEMONA project aims to develop a decision support system (DSS) to provide real-time suggestions on the appropriate operator(s) to perform maintenance tasks with high cognitive workloads.
Given the complexity of the maintenance task to be entrusted, the DSS suggests the most suitable operator considering the available workforce based on three main factors: operator profile, emotional state of the operator and available smart devices.
Host institute: University of Calabria
Digital twin lubrication in the engine using deep learning
The lubrication system in modern internal combustion engines is a complex affair influenced by the laws of physics, the settings of individual components, the control unit, and all of these are interconnected by feedback loops. The aim of the project is to use measured data from laboratory tests and apply deep learning methods as an alternative to classical calculations and simulations. The subsequent model/digital twin can be used to gain a deeper understanding of the individual influences on lubrication system behaviour, as well as its estimation when key properties such as dynamic viscosity change. This can reduce the number of physical measurements required and thus reduce research costs. Or, conversely, to point in the direction of further testing and general lubrication system research.
Host institute: Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation
Cooperation with the company Dřevoplast Ludvík within the framework of the innovation vouchers of LK
Long-term cooperation with the company aimed at optimizing production planning, purchasing and management of raw materials, streamlining logistics and accelerating internal processes through the deployment of machine learning techniques and AI connected directly to the company's MES system. A new communication interface for dispatchers and maintenance in the form of an LLM-based intelligent chatbot is being developed to streamline production planning.
Host institute: Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation
Use of image recognition for detecting defective components (REBID)
A collaboration with the German Fraunhofer Institute and a textile manufacturing company in the border town of Zittau aimed to automate and streamline the process of inspecting potentially defective components using machine learning and AI, including advanced image recognition and visualization for operators. We minimized the need for human intervention while improving success rates.
Host institute: Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation
Contract research order – Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
Websites, software applications, and mobile apps with GUIs interact with users through visuals, text, and interactive elements. Event-driven messages and visuals are applied.
Customers: Automotive, University (TUL), Logistics
Projects: Assembly Line Visualisation, Project Management, Company Shared Resources Calendars
Host institute: Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation
Contract research order – Gesture, Voice, Gaze Recognition
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): AR apps built for the Microsoft HoloLens platform are connected to the cloud and interact with the user by reading gestures, recognizing voice commands and tracking eye movement.
Customers: Architecture, Car Designers, Logistics
Host institute: Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation
Contract research order - SkodaClick- Car Sharing System, Hardware Maintenance System, Grid Stock System
Cooperation with a company was focused on Text-Based Communication,integrations with company chatbot services that respond to textual queries. Automated systems can send emails or messages based on user interactions or predefined triggers.
Customers: Automotive logistics
Host institute: Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation
Innovation of the workplace for the assembly of insulation fillings using the Industrial Internet of Things (Grant provider - Liberec region - project registration number 19103)
The aim of the project was to develop a technical-organizational proposal for the innovation of the workplace for the installation of insulating fillings into the panels of assembled industrial halls and to propose a solution that ensures an increase in the productivity of the installation of insulation (fillings), a reduction in the ergonomic burden of workers and the sharing of process data using the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
Host institute: Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation
Innovative solution of the production process in the welding shop
The project was focused on an innovative solution to the production process in the welding shop. The aim of the work is to design and verify a solution enabling the merger of the applicant's workplaces, taking into account the profile of future business orders in large assortments and small series and sharing process data using the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
Host institute: Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation
IoT for Industry 4.0: performance monitoring in manual production
This chapter deals with the issue of low-cost application of sensors and the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for the purposes of monitoring work performance and increasing productivity in the era of Industry 4.0. The content of the chapter focuses on the use of the Internet of Things in production processes with mainly manual (human) work, which will also be carried out in the Industry 4.0 environment with prevalent processes using modern technologies. The authors describe both the possibilities of applying different sensors for different production technologies (e.g. welding, grinding, assembly) and the possibilities of low-cost solutions of the communication subsystem for providing information to people in real time.
Host institute: Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation
Co-Creative Decision-Makers for 5.0 Organizations (CoDEMO)
CoDEMO 5.0 aims to enhance European innovation by aligning digital innovation with a green mindset, transitioning businesses from a technology-centered 4.0 paradigm to a sustainable and human-centric 5.0 focus. The project fosters collaborative value-creation among socio-economic stakeholders and develops new skills for 5.0 decision-makers in Industry, Healthcare, and Agri-food sectors.
Host institute: Research Group on Industrial Engineering, Logistics and Service Operations
HUman-centric Methods for Augmented Reality in adaptive Work Instruction Systems Enhancement (HUMARWISE)
This project addresses the intersection between human-centred design, augmented reality (AR) technology, and cognitive automation within the framework of Industry 5.0. It aims to develop a methodology for designing adaptive and dynamic work instructions for manual operations, considering individual worker characteristics and utilising AR. The project's experiments are conducted in the SLIM Laboratory.
Host institute: Research Group on Industrial Engineering, Logistics and Service Operations
XR5.0
XR5.0 builds, demonstrates, and validates a novel Person-Centric and AI-based XR paradigm that is tailored to the requirements and nature of I5.0 applications. The project emphasises the development of innovative “XR-made-in-Europe” technology that blends with human-centric manufacturing technologies and adheres to European values. The XR5.0 applications consider the characteristics and context of the worker based on the integration of human-centred digital twins (DTs) comprising the “digital image” of the worker.
Host institute: Institute of Systems and Technologies for Sustainable Production
Circular TwAIn
The EU-funded Circular TwAIn project aims to develop an innovative AI platform that, supported by data sharing within trusted and effective manufacturing data spaces, utilises digital twin technology to offer stakeholders end-to-end sustainability as well as the adaptability to remain competitive in the coming Industry 5.0. In this way, AI technologies could assist manufacturers in adopting a more sustainable and resilient development path.
Host institute: Institute of Systems and Technologies for Sustainable Production
STAR
The EU-funded STAR project designs new technologies to enable the implementation of standard-based, secure, safe, reliable and trusted human-centric AI systems in manufacturing environments. The project aims to research and integrate leading-edge AI technologies like active learning systems, simulated reality systems, explainable AI, human-centric digital twins, advanced reinforcement learning techniques and cyber-defence mechanisms, to allow the safe deployment of sophisticated AI systems in production lines. In this way, these systems are likely to be trusted and applicable when replacing human tasks in dynamic operation, because of their capability to react to different situations, security threats, unpredictable events or specific environments.
Host institute: Institute of Systems and Technologies for Sustainable Production
Kitt4SME
The EU-funded KITT4SME project develops scope-tailored and industry-ready hardware, software and organisational kits for European SMEs and mid-caps. The aim is to deliver a modularly customisable digital platform able to seamlessly introduce artificial intelligence in production systems. The project ensures a wide distribution of "kits" to a wide audience of SMEs and mid-caps in Europe. The seamless adoption of the kits is facilitated with the use of factory systems like ERP, as well as IoT sensors and wearable devices, robots and other factory data sources.
Host institute: Institute of Systems and Technologies for Sustainable Production
Better Factory
The EU-funded Better Factory project creates a network of artists and manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to collaborate in the development of new and personalised products. The artists analyse the deep knowledge within the manufacturing SMEs and support them in diversifying their product portfolio to meet new market demands. The project also provides state-of-the-art technology for SMEs to maximise their production capacity. The SME-artist collaboration is tested with a portfolio of 16 cross-border Application Experiments by 48 SMEs.
Host institute: Institute of Systems and Technologies for Sustainable Production