Article published In:
Human Robot Collaborative Intelligence: Theory and applicationsEdited by Chenguang Yang, Xiaofeng Liu, Junpei Zhong and Angelo Cangelosi
[Interaction Studies 20:1] 2019
► pp. 102–133
Edited by Chenguang Yang, Xiaofeng Liu, Junpei Zhong and Angelo Cangelosi
[Interaction Studies 20:1] 2019
► pp. 102–133
Task allocation for improved ergonomics in Human-Robot Collaborative Assembly
Human-robot collaboration, whereby the human and the robot join their forces to achieve a task, opens new application opportunities in manufacturing. Robots can perform precise and repetitive operations while humans can execute tasks that require dexterity and problem-solving abilities. Moreover, collaborative robots can take over heavy-duty tasks. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a serious health concern and the primary cause of absenteeism at work. While the role of the human is still essential in flexible production environment, the robot can help decreasing the workload of workers. This paper describes a novel framework for task allocation of human-robot assembly applications based on capabilities and ergonomics considerations. Capable agents are determined on the basis of agent characteristics and task requirements. Ergonomics is integrated by measuring the human body posture and the related workload. The developed framework was validated on a gearbox assembly use case using the collaborative robot Baxter.
Keywords: collaborative robot, task allocation, assembly, ergonomics, human body posture
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Task decomposer
- 2.1Task sequence
- 2.2Manipulation taxonomy
- 3.Capability evaluator
- 3.1Information about agents and objects
- 3.2Capability evaluation
- 4.Ergonomics evaluator
- 4.1REBA
- 4.2Automatic postural assessment
- 5.Task allocator
- 5.1Task allocation
- 5.2Framework
- 6.Implementation
- 6.1Human tracking system
- 6.2Reba
- 7.Gearbox assembly
- 8.Experimental validation
- 9.Effects of the human tracking accuracy on the task allocation
- 10.Conclusion and future work
-
References
References (30)
Babič, J., Mombaur, K., Lefeber, D., van Dieën, J., Graimann, B., Russold, M., … Houdijk, H.
(2017) Spexor: spinal exoskeletal robot for low back pain prevention and vocational reintegration. In Wearable robotics: challenges and trends (pp. 311–315). Springer. 
Bauer, A., Wollherr, D., & Buss, M.
(2008) Human-robot collaboration: a survey. International Journal of Humanoid Robotics, 5(01), 47–66.
Beeson, P., & Ames, B.
(2015, November). TRAC-IK: An open-source library for improved solving of generic inverse kinematics. In Proceedings of the ieee ras humanoids conference. Seoul, Korea.
Bevan, S.
(2015) Economic impact of musculoskeletal disorders (msds) on work in europe. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology, 29(3), 356–373.
Busch, B., Maeda, G., Mollard, Y., Demangeat, M., & Lopes, M.
(2017) Postural optimization for an ergonomic human-robot interaction. In International conference on intelligent robots and systems (iros), 2017 ieee/rsj international conference on (pp. 1–8).
Calinon, S., Sardellitti, I., & Caldwell, D. G.
(2010) Learning-based control strategy for safe human-robot interaction exploiting task and robot redundancies. In Intelligent robots and systems (iros), 2010 ieee/rsj international conference on (pp. 249–254).
Chen, F., Sekiyama, K., Cannella, F., & Fukuda, T.
(2014) Optimal subtask allocation for human and robot collaboration within hybrid assembly system. IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, 11(4), 1065–1075.
Diego-Mas, J. A., & Alcaide-Marzal, J.
(2014) Using kinect™ sensor in observational methods for assessing postures at work. Applied ergonomics, 45(4), 976–985.
El Makrini, I., Merckaert, K., Lefeber, D., & Vanderborght, B.
(2017) Design of a collaborative architecture for human-robot assembly tasks. In Intelligent robots and systems (iros), 2017 ieee/rsj international conference on (pp. 1624–1629).
El Makrini, I., Rodriguez-Guerrero, C., Lefeber, D., & Vanderborght, B.
(2017) The variable boundary layer sliding mode control: A safe and performant control for compliant joint manipulators. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2(1), 187–192.
Elprama, S. A., Jewell, C. I., Jacobs, A., El Makrini, I., & Vanderborght, B.
(2017) Attitudes of factory workers towards industrial and collaborative robots. In Proceedings of the companion ofthe 2017 acm/ieee international conference on human-robot interaction (pp. 113–114).
Ferguson, D.
(2000) Therbligs: The keys to simplifying work. The Gilbreth.
Hignett, S., & McAtamney, L.
(2000) Rapid entire body assessment (reba). Applied ergonomics, 31(2), 201–205.
Johannsmeier, L., & Haddadin, S.
(2017) A hierarchical human-robot interaction-planning framework for task allocation in collaborative industrial assembly processes. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2(1), 41–48.
Koppula, H. S., Jain, A., & Saxena, A.
(2016) Anticipatory planning for human-robot teams. In Experimental robotics (pp. 453–470).
Lemaignan, S., Garcia, F., Jacq, A., & Dillenbourg, P.
(2016) From real-time attention assessment to “with-me-ness” in human-robot interaction. In Proceedings of the 2016 acm/ieee human-robot interaction conference. Retrieved from [URL].
Liu, C., Hamrick, J. B., Fisac, J. F., Dragan, A. D., Hedrick, J. K., Sastry, S. S., & Griffiths, T. L.
(2016) Goal inference improves objective and perceived performance in human-robot collaboration. In Proceedings of the 2016 international conference on autonomous agents & multiagent systems (pp. 940–948).
Malvankar-Mehta, M. S., & Mehta, S. S.
(2015) Optimal task allocation in multi-human multi-robot interaction. Optimization Letters, 9(8), 1787–1803.
Mitsunaga, N., Smith, C., Kanda, T., Ishiguro, H., & Hagita, N.
(2008) Adapting robot behavior for human-robot interaction. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 24(4), 911–916.
Näf, M. B., De Rijcke, L., Guerrero, C. R., Millard, M., Vanderborght, B., & Lefeber, D.
(2017) Towards low back support with a passive biomimetic exo-spine. In Rehabilitation robotics (icorr), 2017 international conference on (pp. 1165–1170).
Otani, K., Bouyarmane, K., & Ivaldi, S.
(2017) Generating assistive humanoid motions for co-manipulation tasks with a multi-robot quadratic program controller.
Owen-Hill, A.
Peternel, L., Tsagarakis, N., & Ajoudani, A.
(2017) A human-robot co-manipulation approach based on human sensorimotor information. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, 25(7), 811–822.
Plantard, P., Shum, H. P., Le Pierres, A.-S., & Multon, F.
(2017) Validation of an ergonomic assessment method using kinect data in real workplace conditions. Applied ergonomics, 651, 562–569.
PrimeSense
Robotic Industries Association
Roncone, A., Mangin, O., & Scassellati, B.
(2017) Transparent role assignment and task allocation in human robot collaboration. In Robotics and automation (icra), 2017 ieee international conference on (pp. 1014–1021).
Takala, E.-P., Pehkonen, I., Forsman, M., Hansson, G.-Å., Mathiassen, S. E., Neumann, W. P.,… Winkel, J.
(2010) Systematic evaluation of observational methods assessing biomechanical exposures at work. Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health, 3–24.
Tsarouchi, P., Michalos, G., Makris, S., Athanasatos, T., Dimoulas, K., & Chryssolouris, G.
(2017) On a human-robot workplace design and task allocation system. International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing, 30(12), 1272–1279.
Van der Beek, A. J., & Frings-Dresen, M.
(1998) Assessment of mechanical exposure in ergonomic epidemiology. Occupational and environmental medicine, 55(5), 291–299.
Cited by (46)
Cited by 46 other publications
Alessio, Alessandro, Khurshid Aliev & Dario Antonelli
2024. Multicriteria task classification in human-robot collaborative assembly through fuzzy inference. Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing 35:5 ► pp. 1909 ff. 
Gualtieri, Luca, Federico Fraboni, Hannah Brendel, Luca Pietrantoni, Renato Vidoni & Patrick Dallasega
2024. Updating design guidelines for cognitive ergonomics in human-centred collaborative robotics applications: An expert survey. Applied Ergonomics 117 ► pp. 104246 ff.
Menanno, Marialuisa, Carlo Riccio, Vincenzo Benedetto, Francesco Gissi, Matteo Mario Savino & Luigi Troiano
2024. An Ergonomic Risk Assessment System Based on 3D Human Pose Estimation and Collaborative Robot. Applied Sciences 14:11 ► pp. 4823 ff.
Monari, Eugenio, Giulia Avallone, Marcello Valori, Lorenzo Agostini, Yi Chen, Emanuele Palazzi & Rocco Vertechy
2024. Physical Ergonomics Monitoring in Human–Robot Collaboration: A Standard-Based Approach for Hand-Guiding Applications. Machines 12:4 ► pp. 231 ff.
Tchane Djogdom, Gilde Vanel, Ramy Meziane & Martin J.-D. Otis
2024. Robust dynamic robot scheduling for collaborating with humans in manufacturing operations. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 88 ► pp. 102734 ff.
Yerebakan, Mustafa Ozkan, Yu Gu, Jason Gross & Boyi Hu
2024. Evaluation of Biomechanical and Mental Workload During Human–Robot Collaborative Pollination Task. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
Arvanitis, Gerasimos, Nikos Piperigkos, Christos Anagnostopoulos, Aris S. Lalos & Konstantinos Moustakas
2023. 2023 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Technology (ICIT), ► pp. 1 ff.
Barravecchia, Federico, Luca Mastrogiacomo & Fiorenzo Franceschini
2023. A general cost model to assess the implementation of collaborative robots in assembly processes. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology 125:11-12 ► pp. 5247 ff.
Cai, Min, Rensheng Liang, Xinggang Luo & Chunlai Liu
2023. Task allocation strategies considering task matching and ergonomics in the human-robot collaborative hybrid assembly cell. International Journal of Production Research 61:21 ► pp. 7213 ff.
Gualtieri, Luca, Erwin Rauch & Renato Vidoni
2023. Human-robot activity allocation algorithm for the redesign of manual assembly systems into human-robot collaborative assembly. International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing 36:2 ► pp. 308 ff.
Kheirabadi, Mahboobe, Samira Keivanpour, Yuvin Adnarain Chinniah & Jean-Marc Frayret
2023. Human-robot collaboration in assembly line balancing problems: Review and research gaps. Computers & Industrial Engineering 186 ► pp. 109737 ff.
Lippi, Martina, Paolo Di Lillo & Alessandro Marino
2023. 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), ► pp. 7614 ff.
Lorenzini, Marta, Marta Lagomarsino, Luca Fortini, Soheil Gholami & Arash Ajoudani
2023. Ergonomic human-robot collaboration in industry: A review. Frontiers in Robotics and AI 9
Omidi, Mohsen, Greet Van de Perre, Roshan Kumar Hota, Hoang-Long Cao, Jelle Saldien, Bram Vanderborght & Ilias El Makrini
2023. Improving Postural Ergonomics during Human–Robot Collaboration Using Particle Swarm Optimization: A Study in Virtual Environment. Applied Sciences 13:9 ► pp. 5385 ff.
Pantano, Matteo, Arianna Curioni, Daniel Regulin, Tobias Kamps & Dongheui Lee
2023. 2023 IEEE-RAS 22nd International Conference on Humanoid Robots (Humanoids), ► pp. 1 ff.
Papetti, Alessandra, Marianna Ciccarelli, Cecilia Scoccia, Giacomo Palmieri & Michele Germani
2023. A human-oriented design process for collaborative robotics. International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing 36:12 ► pp. 1760 ff.
Petzoldt, Christoph, Matthias Harms & Michael Freitag
2023. Review of task allocation for human-robot collaboration in assembly. International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing 36:11 ► pp. 1675 ff.
Riedelbauch, Dominik, Nico Höllerich & Dominik Henrich
2023. Benchmarking Teamwork of Humans and Cobots—An Overview of Metrics, Strategies, and Tasks. IEEE Access 11 ► pp. 43648 ff.
Tausch, Alina & Annette Kluge
2023. Dynamische Aufgabenallokation in der Fabrik der Zukunft. Zeitschrift für wirtschaftlichen Fabrikbetrieb 118:6 ► pp. 364 ff.
Weidemann, Carlo, Nils Mandischer, Frederick van Kerkom, Burkhard Corves, Mathias Hüsing, Thomas Kraus & Cyryl Garus
2023. Literature Review on Recent Trends and Perspectives of Collaborative Robotics in Work 4.0. Robotics 12:3 ► pp. 84 ff.
Yetkin, Busra Nur & Berna Haktanirlar Ulutas
2023. A Literature Review on Human-robot Collaborative Environments Considering Ergonomics. In Industrial Engineering in the Age of Business Intelligence [Lecture Notes in Management and Industrial Engineering, ], ► pp. 49 ff.
Behrens , R., G. Pliske , M. Umbreit , S. Piatek , F. Walcher & N. Elkmann
2022. A Statistical Model to Determine Biomechanical Limits for Physically Safe Interactions With Collaborative Robots. Frontiers in Robotics and AI 8
Calvo, Roque & Pilar Gil
2022. Evaluation of Collaborative Robot Sustainable Integration in Manufacturing Assembly by Using Process Time Savings. Materials 15:2 ► pp. 611 ff.
Dolgui, Alexandre, Fabio Sgarbossa & Marco Simonetto
2022. Design and management of assembly systems 4.0: systematic literature review and research agenda. International Journal of Production Research 60:1 ► pp. 184 ff.
El Makrini, Ilias, Glenn Mathijssen, Sten Verhaegen, Tom Verstraten & Bram Vanderborght
2022. A Virtual Element-Based Postural Optimization Method for Improved Ergonomics During Human-Robot Collaboration. IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering 19:3 ► pp. 1772 ff.
El Makrini, Ilias, Mohsen Omidi, Fabio Fusaro, Edoardo Lamon, Arash Ajoudani & Bram Vandcrborght
2022. 2022 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), ► pp. 10238 ff.
Jung, Yunseo, Hyunju Kim, Kyung-Duk Suh & Jung-Min Park
2022. Human-Centered Dynamic Service Scheduling Approach in Multi-Agent Environments. Applied Sciences 12:21 ► pp. 10850 ff.
Kheirabadi, M., S. Keivanpour, Y. Chinniah & J.M. Frayret
2022. A Review on Collaborative Robot Assembly Line Balancing Problems. IFAC-PapersOnLine 55:10 ► pp. 2779 ff.
Liu, Dong & Junwei Cao
2022. Determinants of Collaborative Robots Innovation Adoption in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: An Empirical Study in China. Applied Sciences 12:19 ► pp. 10085 ff.
Liu, Li, Fu Guo, Zishuai Zou & Vincent G. Duffy
2022. Application, Development and Future Opportunities of Collaborative Robots (Cobots) in Manufacturing: A Literature Review. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction ► pp. 1 ff.
Merlo, Elena, Edoardo Lamon, Fabio Fusaro, Marta Lorenzini, Alessandro Carfi, Fulvio Mastrogiovanni & Arash Ajoudani
2022. 2022 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), ► pp. 2825 ff.
Merlo, Elena, Edoardo Lamon, Fabio Fusaro, Marta Lorenzini, Alessandro Carfì, Fulvio Mastrogiovanni & Arash Ajoudani
2023. An ergonomic role allocation framework for dynamic human–robot collaborative tasks. Journal of Manufacturing Systems 67 ► pp. 111 ff.
Pantano, Matteo, Qiaoyue Yang, Adrian Blumberg, Raven Reisch, Tobias Hauser, Benjamin Lutz, Daniel Regulin, Tobias Kamps, Konstantinos Traganos & Dongheui Lee
2022. Influence of task decision autonomy on physical ergonomics and robot performances in an industrial human–robot collaboration scenario. Frontiers in Robotics and AI 9
Pupa, Andrea, Wietse Van Dijk, Christiaan Brekelmans & Cristian Secchi
2022. A Resilient and Effective Task Scheduling Approach for Industrial Human-Robot Collaboration. Sensors 22:13 ► pp. 4901 ff.
Borges, Guilherme Deola, Angélica Muffato Reis, Rafael Ariente Neto, Diego Luiz de Mattos, André Cardoso, Hatice Gonçalves, Eugenio Merino, Ana Colim, Paula Carneiro & Pedro Arezes
2021. Decision-Making Framework for Implementing Safer Human-Robot Collaboration Workstations: System Dynamics Modeling. Safety 7:4 ► pp. 75 ff.
Cardoso, André, Ana Colim, Estela Bicho, Ana Cristina Braga, Marino Menozzi & Pedro Arezes
2021. Ergonomics and Human Factors as a Requirement to Implement Safer Collaborative Robotic Workstations: A Literature Review. Safety 7:4 ► pp. 71 ff.
Fusaro, Fabio, Edoardo Lamon, Elena De Momi & Arash Ajoudani
2021. 2021 30th IEEE International Conference on Robot & Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN), ► pp. 534 ff.
Govaerts, Renée, Bruno Tassignon, Jo Ghillebert, Ben Serrien, Sander De Bock, Toon Ampe, Ilias El Makrini, Bram Vanderborght, Romain Meeusen & Kevin De Pauw
2021. Prevalence and incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in secondary industries of 21st century Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 22:1
Huang, Jun, Duc Truong Pham, Ruiya Li, Mo Qu, Yongjing Wang, Mairi Kerin, Shizhong Su, Chunqian Ji, Omar Mahomed, Riham Khalil, David Stockton, Wenjun Xu, Quan Liu & Zude Zhou
2021. An experimental human-robot collaborative disassembly cell. Computers & Industrial Engineering 155 ► pp. 107189 ff.
Lippi, Martina & Alessandro Marino
2021. 2021 30th IEEE International Conference on Robot & Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN), ► pp. 1017 ff.
Rossato, Chiara, Patrik Pluchino, Nicola Cellini, Giulio Jacucci, Anna Spagnolli & Luciano Gamberini
2021. Facing with Collaborative Robots: The Subjective Experience in Senior and Younger Workers. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking 24:5 ► pp. 349 ff.
Segura, Pablo, Odette Lobato-Calleros, Alejandro Ramírez-Serrano & Isidro Soria
2021. Human-robot collaborative systems: Structural components for current manufacturing applications. Advances in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering 3 ► pp. 100060 ff.
Ajoudani, Arash, Philipp Albrecht, Matteo Bianchi, Andrea Cherubini, Simona Del Ferraro, Philippe Fraisse, Lars Fritzsche, Manolo Garabini, Alberto Ranavolo, Patricia Helen Rosen, Massimo Sartori, Nikos Tsagarakis, Bram Vanderborght & Sascha Wischniewski
2020. Smart Collaborative Systems for Enabling Flexible and Ergonomic Work Practices [Industry Activities]. IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine 27:2 ► pp. 169 ff.
Hashemi-Petroodi, S. Ehsan, Simon Thevenin, Sergey Kovalev & Alexandre Dolgui
2020. Operations management issues in design and control of hybrid human-robot collaborative manufacturing systems: a survey. Annual Reviews in Control 49 ► pp. 264 ff.
Lindblom, Jessica & Beatrice Alenljung
2020. The ANEMONE: Theoretical Foundations for UX Evaluation of Action and Intention Recognition in Human-Robot Interaction. Sensors 20:15 ► pp. 4284 ff.
Maurice, Pauline, Adrien Malaisé, Clélie Amiot, Nicolas Paris, Guy-Junior Richard, Olivier Rochel & Serena Ivaldi
2019. Human movement and ergonomics: An industry-oriented dataset for collaborative robotics. The International Journal of Robotics Research 38:14 ► pp. 1529 ff.
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 4 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.