Augmented Operator Support for Reconfigurable Workplaces

SHORT SUMMARY 

This testbed utilizes a projection-based Augmented Reality (AR) system to guide human operators through various manufacturing tasks. By projecting 1:1 scale digital instructions, marks, and alignment guidelines directly onto the physical workspace, the system facilitates easier material manipulation, assembly, and quality inspection. Integrated with an intuitive control interface, the platform enables workers to manage and dynamically reconfigure workflows on-site, while significantly reducing both ergonomic strain and material waste. Validated use cases include both the co-manipulation of composite sheets and the automated cutting of textiles, demonstrating the system’s adaptability across varied flexible manufacturing scenarios.

HOSTING INSTITUTION AND PI INFO

Name of Host Organization University of Patras, Greece
Department or Lab Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems & Automation (LMS) – Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics
Name of Building Main Building of Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics
Physical Address Campus of University of Patras, Rio, Greece
Website Links https://www.upatras.gr
Institutional contact name N/A
Institutional contact email

APPLICATION CASES 

Application case: Short description:
Flexible Materials Co-Manipulation Utilizing the Unity-based HMI to allow operators to define new grasping points and trajectories for different materials without writing code, facilitating rapid production changes.
Projection-Based AR Operator Guidance Using an AR projection system to overlay 1:1 scale digital instructions and alignment guidelines directly onto the textile workspace, guiding the operator through assembly, and quality inspection tasks.

POTENTIAL STAKEHOLDERS

Non-academic stakeholders

Industrial Partners, Startups, SMEs

Academic stakeholders

Undergraduate students, PhD students, MSc students, Researchers

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