There is a new industrial revolution on the horizon, and it will see humans and robots working in concert. For the last decade and a half, Industry 4.0 has brought autonomous robots to the factory floor, creating a digitised workplace than can respond quickly to new requirements. However, automation struggles to cope with unexpected situations.
Industry 5.0 will create a factory that reacts intuitively by integrating human workers into the production process. The result will be a facility that is efficient and sustainable, while creating an environment that promotes the needs and welfare of workers. It has even been identified by the European Union (EU) as key to the future of our economy, highlighting the role that technology can play in benefiting the environment.
Automation has played an expanding role in the manufacturing world for some time. Described as the fourth industrial revolution and christened Industry 4.0, it links all elements of the manufacturing process, from sensors and actuators on the factory floor all the way to the cloud. This network shares information up and down to create a real-time picture of how the operation is running. The result is known as the smart factory, a facility that can respond rapidly to changes in scheduling and demand, reducing the manufacturer’s time to market and providing them with a competitive advantage.
Robots form a key element of the smart factory. The modern robot does not suffer from fatigue, and its ability to repeat the same task with great precision makes the production process more efficient. However, while the latest generation of industrial robots is very capable, they still struggle when faced with new situations.
The same problem exists with almost all automated processes. If a production line stops, it is unlikely to be the result of a mechanical breakdown or fault. More often, the process will halt because the machinery is faced with a situation for which it is unprepared. This means that one tiny change can stop production.
Manufacturers are employing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to solve these problems, but there are limits to what AI can achieve. AI relies upon a vast database of learned data but if a situation arises that the AI has not experienced before, it will still become confused.
This is the problem that Industry 5.0 seeks to resolve, with its integration of the human operator into the decision making process. To give an example of how this might take place in reality, we can look at the role that humans can play in a rapidly changing manufacturing application.
Technology is ideal for processes that need to handle materials quickly and efficiently. In the shipping industry, robots are used to sort incoming packages. Each robot employs camera imaging systems to evaluate all items in its area. Edge computing systems on the production line reduce its reaction time or latency, enabling the robot to image and interpret each item as it approaches. In a shipping facility, throughput is very important, and it is common for a robot to handle up to 30 items per minute. To achieve this, capturing and processing of each image needs to take place in fractions of a second.
The system will work independently to complete a large proportion of the tasks it is presented with. But sometimes the sensors will detect a situation that they do not recognise. It may be a new type of package or perhaps a box that has been damaged, but the result will be the same: if the AI does not recognise the item, the production line will stop.
This is exactly the type of situation that Industry 5.0 will address. If a human worker is part of the control system, they can use a remote connection to identify an unusual situation quickly. With the click of a mouse, the human worker can provide the robot with an instruction and the process can continue without delay.
There will be times that even human supervision will not be enough to keep the smart factory running. In a rapidly changing situation, robots cannot adapt quickly in the way that a human can. Camera systems might be confused by uneven lighting changes, or irregularly shaped objects might be difficult for a robot to handle.
Instead of replacing the worker with a robot, it might be more effective to enhance the skills of the worker themselves. Industrial exoskeletons are worn on the body like a suit of armour, working in concert with the actions of the wearer as they move.
The exoskeleton enhances the capabilities of the worker, relieving them of fatigue and providing them with extra strength. The human becomes part of the production process, able to use their experience and intuition in a way that even the most sophisticated robots cannot. They can react to unexpected situations instinctively, and the exoskeleton can be fitted with additional devices, from sensors that monitor movement to displays that improve the user’s situational awareness.
The technology that enables Industry 5.0 has a lot in common with existing Industry 4.0 equipment. The factory is an unforgiving environment, and designers need connectivity solutions that can deliver large volumes of data in tough conditions. In addition, the inherent flexibility of the Industry 5.0 factory means that machines and humans will move in unpredictable ways. In these applications, robust and reliable connectivity will be vital.
Industry 5.0 will revolutionise how manufacturers produce their products, with humans working alongside robots to create a more sustainable and flexible manufacturing industry. The Bulgin Buccaneer circular connector is an ideal solution for the latest innovations on the factory floor and beyond, providing power, data and signal even in the harshest conditions.