THE POTENTIAL OF HUMAN-MACHINE INTERACTION ......The human-machine interface (HMI) is becoming...
Transcript of THE POTENTIAL OF HUMAN-MACHINE INTERACTION ......The human-machine interface (HMI) is becoming...
-
F R A U N H O F E R I N S T I T U T E F O R I N D U S T R I A L E N G I N E E R I N G I A O
E D I T O R S : D i e t e r s p a t H | a n e t t e W e i s b e c k e r
A U T H O R S : M a t t H i a s p e i s s n e r | c o r n e l i a H i p p
THE POTENTIAL OF HUMAN-MACHINE INTERACTION FOR THE EFFICIENT AND NETWORKED PRODUCTION OF TOMORROW
pote
nzi
ale
der
Men
sch
-tec
hn
ik in
tera
ktio
n f
ür
die
eff
izie
nte
un
d v
ern
etzt
e pr
od
ukt
ion
vo
n m
org
en
fraunhofer verlag
-
1
Editors
Dieter Spath, Anette Weisbecker
Authors
Matthias Peissner, Cornel ia Hipp
THE POTENTIAL OFHUMAN-MACHINE INTERACTION FOR THE EFFICIENT AND NETWORKED PRODUCTION OF TOMORROW
-
2
CONTENTS
1 ABSTRACT .......................................................................... 4
2 INTRODUCTION ................................................................... 6
2.1 Objective .................................................................................................................................. 6
2.2 Procedure ................................................................................................................................. 7
2.2.1 Experts involved ....................................................................................................................... 7
2.2.2 Preparation for the study: identifying issues ......................................................................... 8
2.2.3 Expert workshop: underlying conditions, outlining developments and issues ................... 8
2.2.4 Individual interviews: in-depth and detailed look at issues .................................................. 9
2.3 Structure of the study ............................................................................................................. 10
3 CONDITIONS OF THE PRODUCTION OF TOMORROW............ 12
3.1 Networked and intelligent production .................................................................................. 14
3.2 Transparent systems with real-time information .................................................................. 16
3.3 Flexible deployment of personnel ......................................................................................... 18
3.4 Employeequalification ........................................................................................................... 20
3.5 Standardized processes and traceability ............................................................................... 22
3.6 Safe and secure systems ......................................................................................................... 24
3.7 Product variety and short product cycles .............................................................................. 26
3.8 Internationalization................................................................................................................. 28
3.9 Sustainability ........................................................................................................................... 30
3.10 Mobile devices ......................................................................................................................... –32
3.11 Social media ............................................................................................................................. 34
3.12 New technologies for human-machine interaction ............................................................. 36
-
3
4 CHALLENGES AND APPROACHES TO HUMAN-MACHINE INTERACTION IN PRODUCTION ........................................... 38
4.1 Design for humans .................................................................................................................. 38
4.1.1 Attractive design ...................................................................................................................... 38
4.1.2 Human-centered development processes .............................................................................. 40
4.1.3 More than a tool ...................................................................................................................... 42
4.2 The role of the human in networked production ................................................................. 47
4.2.1 The human as a sensor ............................................................................................................ 48
4.2.2 The human as a decision maker .............................................................................................. 50
4.2.3 The human as an instigator .................................................................................................... 52
4.3 Multimodal interaction .......................................................................................................... 56
4.4 Using the knowledge and intelligence of the system effectively ....................................... 58
4.4.1 Documentation and knowledge in the system ...................................................................... 58
4.4.2 System intelligence and automation hand-in-hand with the users ..................................... 60
4.5 One design – many variants ................................................................................................... 63
5 EXAMPLE PROJECTS ........................................................... 68
5.1 EPIK–Efficientuseofpersonnelthroughintelligentandadaptivecooperationand
information management in production ............................................................................... 69
5.2 KapaflexCy-Self-organizedcapacityflexibilityincyber-physicalsystems ........................ 72
6 SUMMARY AND INDEX OF GUIDELINES ............................. 74
6.1 Overview of requirements and guidelines for effective HMI design .................................. 76
6.2 Overview of requirements and guidelines for future-orientated HMI tools ...................... 77
6.2.1 SupportwithefficientHMIdevelopment .............................................................................. 77
6.2.2 Basics of intelligent and context-sensitive production control ............................................. 77
6.2.3 Interfaces and communication functionality ......................................................................... 77
6.2.4 Support for new technologies ................................................................................................ 77
-
4
The human-machine interface (HMI) is becoming increasingly
important for controlling and monitoring industrial processes.
For manufacturing companies, HMIs provide an excellent
contribution to productivity, efficiency and employee
motivation. Further, machine and equipment manufacturers
guarantee themselves a competitive advantage through
ergonomic HMIs. Attractive design should express the ability
of the company to innovate, demonstrate the technical
excellence of the machine and create characteristic features.
Further, In addition to methodical and design-related know-
how, development tools and engineering environments are
also responsible for the efficient creation of high-quality HMIs.
An earlier publication1 by Fraunhofer IAO outlines the quality
characteristics required of such modern HMIs. This study
expands on these results, looking at current and future trends
in production and the effects on the requirements that will be
made of HMIs and HMI engineering tools in the future.
The most important changes to the underlying conditions in
the production of tomorrow can be summarized under the
term “Industry 4.0.“ Sensors and actuators will be widely
networked in the production environment and will allow
intelligent and immediate reaction to relevant results and
changes. In addition to increasing product diversity for the
conditions of mass production, they allow increased flexibility
of production processes, which consequently requires a work
force with flexible working hours and diverse qualifications.
Other changes concern the increasing significance of security
and traceability of processes, which will lead to increasing
standardization amongst other things. Trends which are
already constant, such as internationalization and
sustainability, will also create new impulses in the future.
Furthermore, current IT such as social media, mobile devices
and alternative interaction technologies, will influence and
extend the underlying conditions and design freedom for
modern HMI solutions.
ABSTRACT1
1 Bierkandt, J., Peissner, M., Hermann, F. & Hipp, C. (2011). Usability und Human-Machine Interfaces in der Produktion. Studie Qualitätsmerkmale für Entwicklungswerkzeuge. [Usability and Human-Machine Interfaces in Production. A Study of Quality Characteristics for Development Tools] Dieter Spath, Anette Weisbecker (Ed.). Fraunhofer Verlag. Download at: http://wiki.iao.fraunhofer.de/images/studien/usability- und-human-machine-interfaces-in-der-produktion.pdf
-
5
In order to meet the upcoming challenges, there is a range of
requirements for HMI design and the HMI tools used: open
interfaces and compatibility with other IT systems is required in
order to be able to portray future networking scenarios in
efficient development processes. This also includes support
and meaningful use of methods of cooperation from Web 2.0
and new interaction technologies. Another issue is the
development in an interactive and user-orientated design
process that, in addition to efficient completion of tasks, also
includes emotional usage factors. Lastly, transparent and
accurate visualization is increasing in significance: both from
the monitoring of complex and sometimes abstract situations,
and also in order to offer effective support - especially in the
event of faults and exceptional situations. In doing so,
personalization and adaptation of the content, forms of
display and interaction mechanisms are of great interest.
In this study, requirements and guidelines for the design of
high-quality HMIs and the corresponding engineering tools are
formulated. They can serve as orientation in future HMI
projects, both for the design and development of attractive
HMIs and efficient engineering tools, as well as for the
selection of a suitable and future-proof HMI engineering
environment.
-
6
HMIs are frequently created with special development tools.
These tools make development easier, for example through
classic SCADA3 functionalities and drivers for machine
controllers. On the other hand, they sometimes limit the HMI
design possibilities and their design determines the manner in
which designers go about the design and implementation of
the HMI. Therefore, the selection of an HMI development tool
frequently influences the work entailed in development and
the quality of the resultant HMI to a considerable degree.
Fraunhofer IAO has already described quality characteristics of
such tools and the development of high-quality HMIs in a
study published at the end of 20114. This study focuses on
recommendations based on current requirements and
underlying conditions.
However, most HMI projects have a lifecycle of more than ten
years. In addition, a longer-term decision in relation to
technology is often connected with the selection of a
development tool. Therefore, already-foreseeable
developments and future requirements should be taken into
account when selecting an HMI tool.
2.1 Objective
Easily operable and attractively interfaces between humans
and machines support the user in more than just learning and
operating a system. They also serve to positively influence
purchase decisions and to support a company‘s own brand
communication. Intuitive user interfaces can be communicated
to customers as a clear step in innovation and are a feature
that distinguishes a company from its competitors.
In doing so, the human-machine interface (HMI) in today‘s
production goes far beyond the mere control of machine
functions. It serves, in particular, for the visualization of
progress during processes, instructions for manual activities,
the administration of recipes and production programs and
support for various monitoring tasks through to integrated
management of everything that occurs in the whole
production process. HMIs should therefore be understood with
a broader definition, including all points of contact between
the different user groups and the IT systems in the whole
production environment. Appropriate to the complexity, user-
orientated development processes2 have now established
themselves as a fundamental basis for successful HMI design.
Based on the understanding of the user groups, their tasks
and the conditions under which they use the systems,
operational processes and interactive concepts are developed,
tested and iteratively optimized. Thus, a high quality of
operation and an optimal adaptation of the HMI to the
working processes can be achieved. In addition, the graphic
design of the user interface has become more important in
recent years. A primary objective is the efficient visualization of
important information and interrelationships. Furthermore, it is
a case of creating an aesthetic identity that is able to create
trust, a connection and a positive attitude.
2 See ISO/TC 159/SC 4 (2010). ISO 9241-210:2010 Ergonomics of human- system interaction - Part 210: Human-centered design for interactive systems.
3 SCADA: Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
4 Bierkandt, J., Peissner, M., Hermann, F. & Hipp, C. (2011). Usability und Human-Machine Interfaces in der Produktion. Studie Qualitätsmerkmale für Entwicklungswerkzeuge. [Usability and Human-Machine Interfaces in Production. A Study of Quality Characteristics for Development Tools] Dieter Spath, Anette Weisbecker (Ed.). Fraunhofer Verlag.
INTRODUCTION2
-
7
2.2 Procedure
The contents of this study were compiled on the basis of
workshops and interviews with relevant experts. In doing so,
the perspectives of production operation, IT and human-
machine interaction were covered. In order to combine the
future-orientated perspective of the study with a strong
relationship to practical application, experts from science and
practice were involved. The experts taking part provided, in
addition to experience within their own companies, valuable
input from cooperating companies, consulting projects and
larger training measures.
2.2.1 Experts involved
In addition to the authors, the following people made valuable
contributions to this study in workshops or individual
interviews (listed in alphabetical order):
Markus Ammann,
VOLLMER WERKE Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Mario Beck, KHS GmbH
Jan Becker, KHS GmbH
Wolfgang Buchkremer, ELOPAK GmbH
Dr.-Ing. Stefan Gerlach, Fraunhofer IAO
Lorenzo Guazelli, Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.p.A.
Dr. Fabian Hermann, Fraunhofer IAO
Tobias Krause, Fraunhofer IAO
Doris Janssen, Fraunhofer IAO
Joachim Lentes, Fraunhofer IAO
Hagen Nürk, IST METZ GmbH
Friedrich Schneeberger, PAGO Fruchtsäfte GmbH
Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E. h. Dr. h. c. Dieter Spath,
Institutsleiter Fraunhofer IAO
Phillip Werr, Ing. Punzenberger COPA-DATA GmbH
Therefore, the objective of this study is to consider the current
and future changes and developments in the production
environment and to analyze their potential effects on HMI
design. On this basis, the study identifies and explains:
Design recommendations and best-practice approaches
for effective, pioneering HMI design.
Requirements for future-proof HMI development tools.
This study therefore offers designers and developers of HMIs
an orientation aid for the strategic development of successful
design concepts. Furthermore, it supports companies in
selecting a suitable development tool, which equips them for
future developments. Additionally, the study offers
manufacturers and providers of development tools information
on trends and technologies which should be considered for
future developments and refinements.
-
8
1. Introduction:
Presentation of the objectives and display of the prior
considerations, including the main issues.
2. Future issues and trends:
Brainstorming, presentations and discussion on the
following main questions:
What IT system properties will be important in the future
for efficient and human-orientated production?
What technologies and working methods will be
important in the future?
What does human work look like in the production of
tomorrow?
3. Strategies and objectives of the future
Brainstorming, presentations and discussions on the
following main questions:
How will the strategic objectives of manufacturing
companies change in the future? (for example, use of
resources, security, etc.)
How will the achievement of important objectives be
measured in the future? (key performance indicators)
What strategies will be used to achieve objectives
efficiently in the future?
4. Summary and conclusion
2.2.2 Preparation for the study:
Identifying subject areas
Initially, subject areas which were chosen were considered to
be the main issues the study should address.. In doing so,
experiences and findings from numerous research and
development project from Fraunhofer IAO were included.
Furthermore, foreseeable technical progress and trends were
included - in particular from the current Industry 4.0
discussion. The main issues identified in this first stage include:
Efficient process and cooperation models
Networking and integration beyond the limits of
equipment, company and technology
Ergonomic and attractive HMI design
Efficient system engineering
New technologies for human-machine interfaces
Mobility and flexibility
Individualization and context-adaptation
Automation and support for actions
2.2.3 Expert workshop: Underlying conditions,
developments and issues
A workshop was carried out for the second stage in order to
structure and finalize the scope that the study examines. The
workshop lasted four hours and was moderated by Cornelia
Hipp and Matthias Peissner (both Fraunhofer IAO). Five more
experts from the Fraunhofer IAO took part. In the process, the
areas of production management, a digital factory / digital
engineering and human-machine interaction were covered.
Actual project experiences and estimations of future
underlying conditions, developments and issues, came up in
the workshops from these different perspectives. The
workshop agenda comprised of the following items:
-
9
The interview structure was based on the findings from the
expert workshops and comprised of the following topics:
1. Questions about the company and the interviewee‘s
personal role.
2. Open questions in relation to future developments that will
change the underlying conditions for efficient and human-
orientated production; including technologies, working
methods and the costs and efficiency of new
developments.
3. Questions in relation to opinions regarding trends and
future underlying conditions that were identified in the
expert workshops, for example, networking and
intelligence, transparency, the ability to work in real-time,
employee qualifications, standardization, security,
traceability, range of products, internationalization,
sustainability
4. Questions in relation to opinions with regard to production
support through new developments in human-machine
interaction that has been named in the expert workshops,
for example, user focus, design-for-error, mobile devices,
social web, new interaction technologies, adaptive and
individualized systems, visualization of information.
5. Open questions on other issues that appear important to
the interviewee and to prioritize the issues that have
already been discussed.
2.2.4 Individual interviews:
In-depth and detailed look at issues
The individual interviews were conducted in a semi-structured
manner: some over the phone, some in person. Depending on
the interviewee, the interviews were carried out so that the
interviewee could either, provide depth and detail on the
issues they were particularly familiar with, or could estimate
and clarify the extent the described trends and future
developments can be related to current and foreseeable
industrial practice.
2 . I N T R O D U C T I O N
1. Identifying issues
3. Individual interviews2. Expert workshop
Figure 1: Course of the study.
-
10
Chapter 5 serves to illustrate the concepts presented in the
main Chapter 3 and 4. Two research projects are shown, EPIK
and KapaflexCy, which exemplify the contribution that
human-machine interaction can provide for networked and
efficient production in the future.
In addition to a summary, Chapter 6 contains an overview of
all identified requirements and formulated guidelines with
regard to the design and engineering of human-machine
interaction.
2.3 Structure of the study
The results of the study can be broken down into two main
areas:
Firstly, changes to the future underlying conditions of
production were identified, which entail new demands for the
design of human-machine interfaces. These changes must
therefore be taken into account for both HMI design and for
the selection of suitable HMI engineering tools. The most
important of these underlying conditions to be expected are
described in Chapter 3.
Secondly, Chapter 4 is dedicated to the human-machine
interface. On one hand, new challenges arise for HMI design
from the predictable underlying conditions. On the other
hand, there is the potential for more efficient production from
the current research activities in the field of human-computer
interaction from the future. Against this backdrop, guidelines
for effective HMI design and guidelines for the selection of
future-proof HMI engineering tools are formulated in
Chapter 4.
-
11
2 . I N T R O D U C T I O N
-
12
The underlying conditions of industrial production are
changing. Some of the developments that will have a
characteristic influence in the future already have an effect
today, or are at least already foreseeable. In an HMI project,
many influential decisions are made which remain in place for
several years. Therefore, when selecting a suitable HMI
engineering environment, and for fundamental HMI design
decisions, it is not just the current requirements that need to
be taken into account. A responsible and future-proof project
also includes a forecast of the underlying conditions and
requirements of the future. Such developments presented in
this study were compiled on the basis of meetings and
workshops with experts (cf. Section 2.3) and concentrate on
the underlying conditions that are seen in close conjunction
with the design, development and use of human-machine
interfaces5.
CONDITIONS OF THE PRODUCTION OF TOMORROW
3
5 Another recent study by Fraunhofer IAO presents a detailed investigation of the future framework of production work:
Spath, D., Ganschar, O., Gerlach, S., Hämmerle, M., Krause, T. & Schlund, S. (2013). Produktionsarbeit der Zukunft – Industrie 4.0. Download unter http://www.iao.fraunhofer.de/images/iao-news/produktionsarbeit-der-zukunft.pdf
-
13
Figure 2: Underlying conditions for the production of tomorrow
Networked and intelligent production
Transparent systems with real-time information
Flexible deployment of staff
New technologies for human-machine interactionSocial media
Employee qualification
Standardized processes and traceability
Product diversity and short product cycles
InternationalizationSustainability
Mobile devices
Secure systems
-
14
3.1 Networked and intelligent production
In recent years, the fast and continued growth of technology
has resulted in increasingly better network solutions. Mobile
communication increases availability and enables new forms of
collaboration. These developments have also been deployed
within production; however, their potential is nowhere near
exhausted. For example, the social communication forms of
Web 2.0 are still used with a great degree of reservation.
Further, mobile internet usage for the intelligent connection
and networking of humans and machines can be expanded
upon considerably.
Comprehensive and intelligent networking provides great
potential for increasing efficiency in production. Information
from different sources can be combined and called upon from
any desired location. This way, comprehensive information
and important notices can be exchanged without losing time.
It is possible to react extremely quickly to short-term changes
and events. Needs-based, just-in-time, production can be
effectively supported as a result. In addition, service and
maintenance work can be conducted over long distances,
saving costs and time.
-
15
As a result of the high degree of networking, very large
amounts of data will be available. However, it will be a major
challenge to extract information from this in a way that can be
used profitably to optimize production processes. One
example is the precise calculation of the current production
load and the optimization thereof.
Intelligent production systems will tackle these two aspects:
the networking and the meaningful evaluation of data. In
doing so, information from different sources, such as
messages about machine status and information that is
provided to employees via their mobile devices, will be
integrated. Furthermore, an intelligent factory offers effective
mechanisms to be able to react appropriately to the
information recorded. Additionally, pre-defined and self-
learning information can permanently and automatically
ensure a high degree of efficiency by linking certain sensor
results to regulating mechanisms.
Networking is carried out at different levels:
Sites in globalized production are networked. As a result
of this, it is possible to compare production processes.
Many companies already connect their branches around
the world in this way.
Machines provide information on their own status and
thus allow monitoring via a central control room.
Networking also makes it possible to control the
machines from any desired location and to trigger
appropriate actions. Individual machines have already
been triggered to start remote maintenance in order to
ensure high-quality support.
Superordinate production systems are networked with
their subcomponents, which sometimes come from
different manufacturers.
Employees are increasingly equipped with mobile and
networked devices. Consequently, they become more
easily contactable and have the ability to retrieve
information when outside of the workplace. This
introduces numerous scenarios for increased efficiency.
Interfaces to external software for production and
business processes such as ERP or document
management systems offer possibilities for two-way
communication with important data resources.
3 . C O N D I T I O N S O F T H E P R O D U C T I O N O F T O M O R R OW
-
16
3.2 Transparent systems with real-time information
Today, we have comprehensive solutions for monitoring
production parameters. Information on the course of
production, the states of machines, faults and the localization
of these, as well as important key performance indicators
(such as the degree of utilization) can be displayed to the user
and provided graphically in various ways. With the increasing
level of automation and ever-more complex processes,
effective information visualization is now a fundamental
requirement for transparent production systems. Permanent
traceability of what the system is doing becomes especially
important if significant processes no longer have any physical
or directly-perceivable equivalence as a result of the increasing
use of software or through new technologies such as
biotechnology or nanotechnology6. Then there are completely
new challenges for clear and easy-to-understand
visualization.
In addition to appropriate graphical provision of information,
the time components also have a significant influence on the
transparency of the system. As a result of higher computer
processing power and transfer speeds, as well as new
interfaces, much information can now be displayed in real
time. For example, the status of machines and equipment, as
well as aggregated performance figures can be sent and
displayed live.
-
17
Personalized display of information:
As a result of the increasing extent and complexity of the
information available, personalized selection and
preparation of the information is becoming increasingly
important. Not all information is as meaningful to all
employees. Management is interested in different
performance figures to those that interest operators.
Furthermore, the informational requirements of individual
people change over time and depend on the situation
and task. Therefore, optimum provision of layers for
different users and usage situations is important.
Evaluation and further processing:
In order to be able to use the real-time data recorded
reasonably for optimization of the overall system, intelligent
automated functions are often required. These functions
integrate and interpret data and then deduce the
appropriate reaction accordingly. The development of such
mechanisms is sometimes cost-intensive and very
demanding. Furthermore, human decision-makers do not
always want to give up their influence completely.
Therefore, design approaches are required that allow
efficient co-existence of automated mechanisms and the
monitoring and optimization of these by human operators.
The advantages of transparent systems with real-time
information include, the following aspects:
Quicker reactions:
Reaction times to changes in production systems can be
reduced significantly, because the necessary information
is available immediately. This is a significant advantage in
the areas of troubleshooting and fault rectification in
particular.
Targeted measures:
Fine-granular intervention is possible as a result of the
exact identification of the sources of the problem.
Traceability:
The processes are comprehensible and traceable for the
employees. This makes the monitoring of production
easier.
Increased dynamics:
The data available can be used immediately for other
calculations and short-term optimizations. For example,
shift plans or resource planning can be created and
updated in real time. However, optimum use of real-time
systems also entails particular requirements.
Requirements for employees:
Quick and appropriate reactions by employees require
certain abilities and subject knowledge, which may
possibly be only acquirable through additional
qualifications.
3 . C O N D I T I O N S O F T H E P R O D U C T I O N O F T O M O R R OW
6 Other examples include high speeds that cannot be recorded without aids (such as drinks bottle filling with 50,000bottles per hour) or the monitoring of quality parameters that cannot be perceived by humans (such as during the painting of cars).
-
18
3.3 Flexible deployment of personnel
There is already a strong demand for the flexible deployment
of personnel. As a result of current developments, it is possible
to conclude that this demand will increase further.
The volumes have become highly volatile. Reliable
forecasts for staffing requirements are thus barely possible.
The extreme fluctuations in the economy lead to further
insecurity, which makes longer term planning difficult.
Many companies react to this with by increasing their
number of temporary workers. As a result of this, the
proportion of core employees, who are employed on a full-
time basis, is reduced. Further, the percentage of temporary
employees not only increases, but fluctuates.
-
19
In addition, employees will need to be more flexible in regards
to their main activities at work:
Wider scope of duties – broader qualifications
As a result of the increased degree of automation and
the increased networking (cf. Section 3.1) the current
dominant 1:1 assignment of employee to machine will be
loosened. In the future, employees will be able to react
more flexibly to production events and execute very
different tasks. This increases the diversity of an
individual’s range of tasks. At the same time, a broad re-
qualification for different tasks and areas of activities is
important (cf. next section).
Ready on call
In the future, ad-hoc work and short-term reactions to
critical events will be required. Networking and real-time
capability of systems, as well as being equipped with
mobile devices, provides the technical requirements for
this – including for outside normal working hours.
In-service whilst mobile
Certain tasks can also be completed when outside the
workplace and from home.
On the other hand, new ideas for moreflexibleworking
time models were discussed, in order to react to the
fluctuating order situation. This included:
The conscious creation of comprehensive time accounts
in months with high sales with a subsequent reduction of
time in phases with weak sales.
More flexible changes of weekly working times and part-
time and full-time employment that can also reflect
changes in the personal prioritization of free time and
salary in different stages of life.
Lifetime accounts that are kept regardless of the
company are also retained if a person changes employer.
3 . C O N D I T I O N S O F T H E P R O D U C T I O N O F T O M O R R OW
-
20
3.4 Employeequalifications
In industries with a high degree of automation, a development
towards fewer employees with growing responsibilities and
tasks can be observed. There are increasing requirements
forqualifications, for machine operators in particular. They
must be familiar with different machines and manufacturing
processes, have knowledge of complete production lines and
processes and be able to react quickly and competently to
various problems. In addition, the tasks can be more complex,
as information from several networked facilities must be taken
into account at the same time.
In addition to this development, a current trend of increased
use of low-qualified and even unqualified employees is
reported, most of whom are from low-income regions. In such
situations, especially low production costs often occur as a
result of a low degree of automation and high usage of
lowly-qualifiedpersonnel. Furthermore, the product launch
time (time to market) can often be minimized if complex
automation solutions are not developed and it is possible to
start with manual production immediately.
-
21
In addition to ergonomic user interfaces, individually-tailored
qualificationmeasureswill increasingly be required to cover
the need for highly-qualified and flexibly-deployable staff.
Current and future developments that result in an increasing
requirement for further education include:
Increasingly shorter product lifecycles and need for
flexibility. As a result, employees are frequently confronted
with new developments.
An increase in the fluctuation of staff as a result of
reactions to short-term or seasonal events which are
implemented with the help of temporary employees.
These new employees must often be trained quickly (cf.
3.3).
The increasing heterogeneity of the user groups (cf. 3.8).
Different circles of people must master the same
production processes.
The lack of specialist employees in Western countries
which will progressively mean that employers are
confronted with the challenge of training new employees
themselves and preparing for company-specific
requirements in a targeted way.
The demographic shift which will change the supply of
workers. Older employees will also need to become
familiar with new technologies and machines.
Ergo, the following requirements are characteristic of human-
machine interfaces in the future:
High Usability
User interfaces must be designed in such a way that they
can also be understood and easily operated by employees
with little experience, no qualification and a low level of
education
Personalization
User interfaces must allow employees with different
competencies and levels of education to use the system
equally effectively. This requirement favors the use of
mechanisms to personalize user interfaces (cf. Section
4.5).
Keep knowledge in the system
User interfaces should contain the knowledge required
for carrying out tasks which are important to the user.
This will enable less-experienced employees to complete
these tasks and will support frequent change between
different areas of operations. A structured user guide and
context-sensitive systems can make a significant
contribution to this.
Instructiveness
User interfaces must be instructional: i.e. they must
support the user in acquiring new skills and offer
incentives for them to gain more qualifications - even in
regards to the demographic shift.
3 . C O N D I T I O N S O F T H E P R O D U C T I O N O F T O M O R R OW
-
22
3.5 Standardized processes and traceability
The traceability of actual production processes is becoming
more important. In certain industries, such as the
pharmaceutical and medical technology industries, there are
legal obligations for completely traceable documentation. In
other areas, companies use it to protect themselves against
claims for damages and complaints, as they can precisely
prove that quality management requirements have been
complied with. Depending on the industry, it is possible to
grant access to more than ten years of production data.
In conjunction with the vision of a paperless factory, there is
thus a need for saving and archiving of very large amounts
of data. Firstly, the technical challenges of saving, recovery
and archiving in formats that will remain for the long-term is
entailed. Secondly, there are also significant requirements for
the design of human-machine interfaces; the content that is
searched for must be able to be found easily and the data
structures must be shown in a comprehensible way on the
user interface.
-
23
In addition to the traceability, the potential for quality
assurance and continued optimization also go in favor of
increased documentation of the actual processes:
With the monitoring and checking of the production
processes, adherence to requirements can be checked.
The documentation can support a process of continuous
improvement. The data collated can be subsequently used
for analysis in order to identify issues for optimization. The
behavior and corresponding results of exceptional
situations, that have not yet been fully mastered, can be
used to create regularity and to develop precisely-adapted
procedural regulations.
3 . C O N D I T I O N S O F T H E P R O D U C T I O N O F T O M O R R OW
A significant trend for safeguarding an invariable quality of
manufacturing is the standardization of processes.
Approaches to normalize procedures have already been used for
years with “lean production.“ With this, all manufacturing
stages in which the employees are involved are broken down
into clearly divided partial stages. This way, errors which occur
due to a lack of process specification can be avoided.
Furthermore, standardized processes allow a high degree of
user guidance through human-machine systems, in order to be
able to also efficiently include less qualified people in the
process. There are also certain advantages for the traceability. In
highly standardized processes, it can also be sufficient to
document deviations from the standard, such as manual
intervention in the event of a fault.
In addition to the standardization of processes within the
company, increased standardization of the communication
interfaces between machines, equipment and superordinate
systems, such as SCADA and MES, is expected. Existing
standards, such as the Weihenstephan Standard in the food
industry, for example, have a high degree of acceptance in the
marketplace. However, in many cases they do not go far
enough to ensure comprehensive networking beyond system
limits.
-
24
3.6 Safe and secure systems
Safety will be more important in production processes of the
future.
Occupational safety is the first issue here. For industrial
companies, the well-being of their employees is important not
only for ethical reasons, but also economic reasons. Sickness
and downtimes are risks that must be minimized in these
times of increasing volatility of orders in particular. In the
Western world, there is already a high, legally-regulated level
of safety that is likely to also increase in the interests of the
company in light of the lack of specialist personnel. However,
it is also foreseeable that workplace safety will increase in
importance in developing countries and corresponding
solutions and technologies will be increasingly requested.
Ultimately, in a safe and safeguarded environment, a sense of
the company valuing its own employees is also expressed. This
can lead to increased employee satisfaction, motivation and
thus increased productivity.
-
25
In addition to the security risks the use of IT brings, nowadays, it
is increasingly recognized that the progress of information
technology also provides enormous potential for increasing the
security of production. Problems and faults can be recognized at
an early stage, sometimes even predicted or avoided before
they occur. Furthermore, interactive systems can support the
analysisandeffectiverectificationoffaults (cf. Section
4.2.3).
Furthermore, secure production systems are important for
avoiding production downtime. Unexpected incidents that
entail larger repairs are connected to a high degree of
economic losses and endanger the ever-prominent success
indicator of the OEE (overall equipment efficiency). Production
downtime or limitations can also entail organizational and
logistical problems. This is particularly the case if production
planning is calculated on a time-critical basis (just-in-time
production).
As a result of the growing use of IT systems, IT security is also
becoming more important. A secure and reliable IT
infrastructure is becoming increasingly important in order to
avoid problems and downtime and to guarantee optimum
planning capabilities. A significant challenge results from the
increasing opening of the production networks. Whilst these
were previously completely self-sufficient and insular in the
past, they are becoming more open to external networks via
the internet. The major advantages that are consequently
created, for the use of mobile devices for networked and fast
communication between different companies and sites, are
faced with new security risks. A secure IT infrastructure
therefore includes security against attacks from outside,
system stability and options to restore previous states in the
event of system failures.
3 . C O N D I T I O N S O F T H E P R O D U C T I O N O F T O M O R R OW
-
26
3.7 Product variety and short product cycles
Nowadays there are hardly any large production series that
have run for years in the same form. This trend, of low
quantities and small lots, will probably increase in coming
years. One reason for this is the massive shortening of product
lifecycles. Another is the increasing variety of products as part
of the megatrends of diversity and individualization. The
significant challenge of this development is the economical
allocation of engineering resources in terms of costs and time
to increasingly smaller production series. Approaches which
will gain significance include:
-
27
Setting parameters instead of programming
Engineering tools in the future will mostly be measured
by their extent to provide and support complex and
dynamic production processes efficiently. With the
motto, “set parameters instead of programming,” a
promising approach is now being taken that allows a
basic program to be quickly and easily adapted by
entering case-specific parameters. Thus, a wide range of
different variants can be covered. Such creation of a
human-machine interface appropriate to the task is still a
challenge.
Efficient tooling up
With low quantities and frequent changing of lots, the
minimization of the time and effort involved in tooling up
will become a certain strategic objective. Automated
solutions that combine lot and recipe management and
minimize manual retooling can provide great efficiency
advantages and eliminate sources of errors. Otherwise,
the system should be equipped so that the required
activities for retooling can be carried out easily, quickly
and without errors. Instructive user interfaces can offer
effective assistance with this.
Modularization
As a result of the mass customization approach, attempts
are being made to transfer the advantages of cheap mass
production to individualized products. The
implementation is frequently based on a basic product
appropriate for the masses, with certain properties that
can be adapted to create numerous variants. Other
approaches of mass customization are based on building
block approaches for the modular creation of an
individual product
Simpler manufacturing technologies
Simplification of multi-level production processes will also
be used to reduce the time and effort involved in
engineering. Generative manufacturing processes, which
are currently mainly used for rapid prototyping, offer
excellent potential for small quantities in particular.
Hybrid automation solutions
In order to be able to keep up with the fast-paced
product cycle, it will be necessary to speed up the
planning process considerably. Hybrid automation models
are becoming increasingly relevant to minimize the time
between construction and production, while not losing
the advantages of automation. Following an extremely
short planning phase, primarily manual production can
be started. Then, increased automation and further
refinements can be progressively implemented.
3 . C O N D I T I O N S O F T H E P R O D U C T I O N O F T O M O R R OW
-
28
3.8 Internationalization
Globalization characterizes the current and future conditions
of production decisively – through the following three aspects
in particular:
International markets
We are moving in global markets. German and European
products are sold throughout the world and must assert
themselves against products from all parts of the world.
Domestic production also requires the purchase and supply
of raw materials and components from various countries.
International cooperation and networks
Nowadays, products are frequently produced in
international collaborative networks. In doing so, the
production sites involved are often distributed throughout
different continents and consequently, members of the
different teams come from different cultures.
Remote service and maintenance
The machines and equipment of leading manufacturers are
distributed to the whole world. However, direct contact and
immediate reactions are required in order to rectify
problems on a short term basis or to provide planned
maintenance and servicing.
-
29
Glocalization
A successful HMI design for international sales markets and
user groups requires strategic positioning between global
design and localization. In doing so, the components of the
user interface that should be designed with a uniform
appearance; those that should be adapted to different
language areas and cultures must be clarified.
Remote access
Remote access to significant information and functions of a
production system and individual machines will be a central
requirement for economic systems in the future. In
particular the possibility to properly carry out servicing and
maintenance that requires a high degree of technical
competence from long distances will gain in significance in
the future. In addition to a corresponding technical
infrastructure, an increasing number of companies are
recognizing the necessary requirements in HMI design,
which includes, appropriate interactive functions,
transparent visualization systems and effective
communication possibilities.
For the design of effective human-machine systems, the
following consequences and requirements arise:
International HMI design
Optimum HMI design solutions require a deep understanding
of the user, their mental models, ways of working, and
requirements. In doing so, it is usually not sufficient to only
take the meanings of colors that differ between cultures into
account. Cultural standards also influence the interpretation
of icons and symbols, as well as the understanding of
processes and cooperation, working methods and learning
habits.
International HMI engineering
Software solutions for the creation and administration of
human-machine interfaces should meet all requirements for
secure and efficient internationalization. In doing so, it is not
only important that HMIs are possible with different fonts,
language versions, reading directions etc., but also that the
engineering process for provision of more localized variants is
optimally supported. An example of this could be intelligent
mechanisms for the administration of different language
versions, which take into account factors such as different
text lengths on buttons.
3 . C O N D I T I O N S O F T H E P R O D U C T I O N O F T O M O R R OW
-
30
3.9 Sustainability
“Sustainability” is often discussed in public life, politics and in
companies. The primary reasons for this are the fast-growing
world population, the high use of diminishing natural resources
and the build-up of waste products. Even today, production
systems are expected to take environmental perspectives into
account, just as much as social and economic perspectives.
Thus, a further increase in the significance of resources and
environmentally-friendly technology is clearly evident.
For companies, the question of the extent to which they can
achieve positive effects for their image and purchase decisions
by stressing sustainability arises. This applies for sustainability
when manufacturing the product as well as its subsequent use
by the customers.
Sustainable production processes can save costs. Often we
think of manufacturing processes that save energy and preserve
resources. In doing so, numerous solutions can be found such
as direct recycling of heat emitted, the minimization of water
consumption, the construction of lightweight machines and
the optimization of energy efficiency. This topic thus contains
much potential for pricing that is less than that of the
competition.
-
31
3 . U N D E R LY I N G C O N D I T I O N S O F T H E P R O D U C T I O N O F T O M O R R OW
When designing future-orientated human-machine interfaces,
the following requirements arise:
Transparency
A fundamental requirement for the optimization will be
making the load of relevant resources transparent to
both employees and decision makers in an appropriate
way. In doing so, care should be taken to ensure that the
information is presented in a way which can be easily
interpreted and be classified as meaningful by the target
group.
Motivation
Furthermore, it is important to be able to persuade the
employee towards the company objectives and to
influence their behavior in this direction. Design
approaches of “persuasive design”7 and “gamified
design”8 can make an important contribution in
changing attitudes and behavior through new insights
and positive incentives (cf. Section 4.1.3).
The reduction of transit routes is an important aspect. Firstly,
long transit routes between globally-distributed transport routes
of a production creation and usage chain are looked at
increasingly critically. Secondly, there are discussions as to
whether the immense daily commuter traffic can be minimized,
by relocating more production sites to cities. The term “urban
production” is also interesting with regard to the constant
growth of cities. For the first time in the history of mankind,
more people live in cities than in the country. Cities therefore
require more resources and produce more waste. This waste
could be interesting as a mine of resources for production in the
future. Industrial heat could also be used to heat residential
living quarters.
The issue is sometimes handled in conjunction with other
corporate social responsibility issues, such as health
management, ergonomics and occupational safety. The
latter considers sustainability of the company’s own human
resources and diverts the focus to the question of how the
health of the employees, performance and employee motivation
can be ensured on a long term basis. In addition to simple
measures of health protection such as the reduction of stored
chemicals not being sealed and the use of separate storage
rooms, health-promoting programs are increasingly offered to
employees.
7 Persuasive design aims to change the attitudes and behavior of the user in a positive way. In doing so, no pressure is exerted, but persuasion and social influence is used
8 Gamified design describes the application of design characteristics and mechanisms that are typical for interactive computer games and other areas such as work equipment, business applications, consumer products, etc.
-
32
Furthermore, mobile phones can also be used to include
employees in the handling of faults or problems that do not
occur at production sites. This allows more flexible and
efficient reactions to critical events and increases the
productivity of the workforce. Certain activities can
therefore be carried out from home, which promotes more
flexible working times and an improved work-life balance.
Location-related services can also be implemented through the
localization of mobile devices. Thus the information and functions
offered can be adapted depending on the location of the user, in
order to implement limitations on machine operation when out
of sight. Or information that is particularly relevant to the current
location can automatically be displayed, for example detailed
information on machines that are in close proximity. If reasonable
measures have been taken, it is possible to minimize the time and
effort needed for interaction on mobile devices.
Finally, the location of the mobile device can also be used for the
management of the whole production process. For example,
when delegating urgent tasks, the current location of the
employees can be taken into account, in order to minimize
walking distances and reaction times. In addition, when
approaching a machine, the user of the device detected can
automatically be logged in as the user on the machine, in order
to implement personal documentation and rights management
reliably and efficiently.
3.10 Mobile devices
Mobile devices are now very widespread. According to the
German federal association BITKOM, as at April 16, 2012,
around 88% of all Germans (over the age of 14) use a mobile
phone and one in three Germans already own a smartphone9.
The sales figures of mobile phones worldwide have also
increased considerably in the past years10. As a result of browser-
based remote applications and the installation of special apps,
smartphones and tablets can now be used in many ways. Apps
are already used in the area of production too. As a result of the
expansion of mobile phone networks and wireless LAN, as well
as improved data transmission rates, such services that require a
good data connection can now be used when on the move.
In a networked production environment (cf. Section 3.1) mobile
devices can be used to access different information and systems
from anywhere. This results in a certain location-
independence, i.e. locational disconnection of the user from
the place where their actions have an effect:
In particular for large-sized production areas, there is the
advantage that information from different floors can be
made available at any desired location. So employees who
are responsible for several machines or entire production
lines can always have a complete overview . They can also
receive notifications when an action is required and look-up
detail information about any desired equipment or process
from anywhere. This results in, interesting scenarios for an
ad-hoc documentation of notable items and quick
reactions to real-time information on faults or any other
urgent need for action (cf. Section 3.2).
-
33
There are special requirements when designing human-
machine interfaces for mobile devices, including the
following:
The relatively small displays on most mobile devices require
careful selection of the information to be displayed. It is
often necessary to subdivide larger blocks of information
into smaller units and to offer navigation paths appropriate
to the tasks between the sub-stages.
Entry of data is also laborious with mobile devices and
should be limited to inputs that are absolutely necessary.
Frequently-entered values can be offered as pre-selection.
Search functions can shorten long navigation paths and are
particularly effective if you have mastered autocomplete
and offer frequently-used options directly as a pre-
selection. In addition, alternative input technologies (such
as voice) offer great potential.
Mobile communication still unfortunately suffers from
relatively low data transfer speeds. Communication
concepts that, for example, only require a punctual server
connection and otherwise work locally and save data on
the mobile device can compensate for this at least in part.
The development of user interfaces that are usable on
several different platforms is still a great challenge – both
from the perspective of the technologies and efficient
engineering as well as the usability (cf. Section 4.5). In
addition, the user in the production hall, should experience
a seamless transition between the HMIs of mobile devices
and that of machine panels or PCs.
If mobile devices are used for warnings and error messages,
it must be taken into consideration that they are not always
noticed visibly by the user. In this case, the use of acoustic
signals and vibration is recommended (cf. Section 4.3).
In light of the increasing prevalence of apps, smartphones and
tablets, it is conceivable that in the future machine-orientated
functions can also be made usable via mobile devices. Where
possible, no separate control panel will be required in certain
cases and the whole human-machine interface can - with the
exception of the emergency-off switch and a few mechanical
controls – be transferred to mobile devices.
Because mobile devices are primarily used by individual users as
a personal device, they offer the best conditions for
individualization of user interfaces. For example, the
extensiveness and depth of detail of the information displayed
can be adapted to the level of knowledge and needs of the
respective user.
3 . C O N D I T I O N S O F T H E P R O D U C T I O N O F T O M O R R OW
9 BITKOM Bundesverband Informationswirtschaft, Telekommunikation und neue Medien e.V.: [German Federal Association for the Information Economy and New Media] Jeder Dritte hat ein Smartphone [Every Third Person Has a Smartphone] , Berlin, 2012, http://www. bitkom.org/de/presse/8477_71854.aspx (accessed on September 12, 2012)
10 Statista GmbH: Absatz von Mobiltelefonen weltweit in den Jahren 2005 bis 2011 (in Millionen Stück), [Sales of Mobile Phones Worldwide in the Years 2005 to 2011 (in Millions)] http://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/192704/umfrage/absatz-von-mobiltelefonen-weltweit-seit-2005/ (accessed on September 12, 2012)
-
34
3.11 Social media
The corporate in-house use of social media in German
companies is still very low. At the end of 2011 / start of 2012,
fewer than 10% of companies stated that they use social
media in product development (7%), knowledge management
(7%) or production (3%)11.
However, in the future, the potential of social media, such as
wikis and blogs, for productive activities in the value chain is
expected to be significantly exploited. This provides attractive
opportunities to actively include employees in the processes of
production planning and control, knowledge management,
and continuous improvement. Areas where social media can
potentially be used include:
-
35
The continuous improvement process (CIP) can also be
supported by social media. Accessibility via permanently-
used human-machine interfaces minimizes
communication barriers, allowing people to provide their
own suggestions and proposals for improvement. As a
result of the immediate visibility of the proposals and
corresponding possibilities for all employees to leave
comments, creativity, motivation and sense of teamwork
are reinforced.
In comparison to the technical implementation of such
approaches, the organizational questions, in relation to
integration within existing processes and structures, is certainly
the greater challenge. Exemplary problem areas include quality
assurance and the editing of user-generated content, the
specialist, organizational and social competence of different
user groups and the effective reuse of knowledge gleaned.
Employees can make text contributions or audio and
video clips to help other employees, for example when
working on difficult tasks or when rectifying problems
that have been solved successfully. This can lead to
significant increases in the efficiency of help systems and
knowledge management – both on the part of the
user and also for those who create help systems and
documentation.
Sensor information that constitutes the basis for
intelligent production processes can be supplemented,
corrected or validated by employees. In addition,
employees can contribute information on production
status, material and personnel resources and machine
status. This allows reliable production planning and
control, which can be optimized in real time. Fixed
assignments of working processes to individual
employees can be replaced or supplemented by means of
collaborative negotiation mechanisms, in order to use the
knowledge of all employees for optimum use of capacity.
With blogs, current events and information can be
published. News can be positioned prominently, like on a
pin board and subscribers to the blog would be informed
automatically. For example, important messages for
people on the next shift can be passed on.
3 . C O N D I T I O N S O F T H E P R O D U C T I O N O F T O M O R R OW
11 BITKOM Bundesverband Informationswirtschaft, Telekommunikation und neue Medien e.V.: [German Federal Association for the Information Economy and New Media] Social Media in deutschen Unternehmen [Social Media in German Companies] Berlin, 2012, https://www.bitkom.org/files/documents/Social_Media_in_deutschen_Unternehmen. pdf (accessed on 21 February, 2013)
-
36
3.12 New technologies for human-machine interaction
Technical progress, in particular for recognition technologies,
allows new forms of human-machine interaction that goes far
beyond pressing buttons and using the mouse. In addition to
multi-touch and touch gestures, voice applications are already
in use. Promising technologies with a longer perspective
include eye tracking, gaze control, tangible and touch
interfaces and gesture recognition in open spaces. New
interaction technologies offer the potential for companies to
distinguish themselves by means of innovative operation and
can – if they are used correctly – increase efficiency and also
be enjoyable to use.
However, in order for new methods of operation to be
successful, there must be usage scenarios where they provide
genuine added value and can be integrated into a coherent
and intuitive interaction design. The potential for new
interaction technologies that can be forecasted today includes:
-
37
The merging of physical and virtual (IT) reality
Augmented reality (AR) offers massive potential for
efficient support for actions. Usually the view is
augmented through a special set of glasses or the camera
of a mobile device. This way, information on equipment
or items being worked on can be displayed, or correct
positioning and movements of the user’s hand can be
demonstrated1. In the area of employee training, virtual
reality (VR) approaches are especially interesting. With
simulated practice scenarios employees can train for
working procedures in a realistic setting without fear of
making mistakes with serious consequences.
Interaction mechanisms that are based on recognition
technology are generally prone to errors. It is therefore
important that such inputs are always accompanied with clear
feedback so that the user immediately notices any recognition
error and can correct this. Furthermore, with machine
operation in particular, there are frequently functions that
must be carried out completely reliably and directly in order to
avoid breakdowns or accidents. In these cases, the operating
mechanisms used must be safe and resistant to errors.
3 . C O N D I T I O N S O F T H E P R O D U C T I O N O F T O M O R R OW
12 See example: http://av.dfki.de/images/stories/Video/AR_Handbook-2013_v3.mp4
Touchless interaction
In some areas touchless HMI interaction is of great
interest. Firstly, for hygienic reasons, be it because very
dirty fingers should not touch the touch screen or other
controls or because in a clean room environment, any
unnecessary control object should be avoided and
capacitive touch displays can often not be operated
when wearing gloves. Secondly, touch screen interaction
offers the possibility to carry out manual activities that
require both hands at the same time, whilst different
information is called up or even entered on the screen.
These advantages can be implemented by methods
including eye control, voice control and (sometimes)
gesture control.
More efficient user inputs
With conventional input using menus and touch or a
mouse, the possible information stages are generally
limited to the objects that are currently displayed. As a
result of this, interaction sequences, to get to a simple
function, are often longer as they require navigation
through several submenus. With multi-touch and touch
gestures, special additional functions can be made
available by means of one single user interaction. Voice
detection also offers the basic possibility of calling up all
functions of a system at any time with a single command.
More impressive is the gain in efficiency that can be
achieved for comprehensive text inputs that can be
simply dictated or recorded via voice.
-
38
4.1 Design for humans
4.1.1 Attractive design
A growing number of companies recognize the strategic
significance of an attractive human-machine interface. In
production too, interaction design is increasingly understood
to be an important distinguishing tool. In addition to the pure
functionality, reliability and precision of the technical products,
the design is increasingly moving into the consciousness of
decision makers.
With a high-quality HMI design, three strategic objectives in
particular can be combined:
Communication
The HMI is the (inter)face to the customer and the user. It
decisively determines the user’s experience with the
product and thus the impression that the customer
receives. An HMI that was developed with little care can
communicate a negative image and quality. However, if
this HMI communication is used in a targeted way, the
customer’s and user’s attitudes towards the product can
be positively influenced. At the start of an HMI design,
the properties and particular features that are to be
transported by the HMI and the design methods used for
this should therefore be clarified.
The following outline of challenges and approaches to
solutions identifies requirements and best practice approaches
for effective HMI design and outlines which specific properties
of an HMI engineering environment will be important for
successful HMI projects in the future. For better orientation,
these two types of requirements will be characterized with the
following graphic signs:
Future underlying conditions (see Chapter 3) place new and
amended requirements on the design of the human-machine
interfaces in production. In addition, in recent years,
procedures and approaches for solutions from the field of
human-computer interaction have developed that offer great
potential for efficient and successful interaction in the
production environment. Some of these approaches have
already established themselves in other fields and can – if
adapted accordingly – be transferred to application in industry.
One example is the targeted emphasis of emotional usage
factors, as they are sometimes used in the internet or in the
automotive industry. Other approaches such as multimodal
interaction or adaptive usage interfaces must, in contrast,
orientate themselves more towards current research results.
CHALLENGES AND APPROACHES TO HUMAN-MACHINE INTERACTION IN PRODUCTION
4
Requirements and best-practice
approaches for HMI design
Requirements for future-proof HMI
engineering tools
-
39
CHALLENGES AND APPROACHES TO HUMAN-MACHINE INTERACTION IN PRODUCTION
13 Bierkandt, J., Peissner, M., Hermann, F. & Hipp, C. (2011). Usability und Human-Machine Interfaces in der Produktion. Studie Qualitätsmerkmale für Entwicklungswerkzeuge. [Usability and Human-Machine Interfaces in Production. A Study of Quality Characteristics for Development Tools] Dieter Spath, Anette Weisbecker (Ed.). Fraunhofer Verlag.
Innovation
HMI design not only helps to communicate and clarify
technical innovations to the user, but also has enormous
potential for innovation. For example, data that has been
present in the system for a long time can have completely
new value for the user as a result of being presented in a
new visualized form. Furthermore, HMI sketches and HMI
prototypes make technical possibilities and processes
directly perceivable. HMI illustrations are thus an excellent
means to exchange experiences with decision makers,
customers and users and to develop ideas for innovative
approaches.
Productivity
The productivity of employees can be increased
considerably with user interfaces that feature a high level
of usability. An intuitive illustration requires quick
orientation and error-free operation. More efficient
interaction avoids unnecessary steps and speeds up the
processes. As a result, the time and effort for training
and support is reduced and many tasks can be completed
by different colleagues without specialization or longer
periods of induction (cf. flexible deployment of
personnel, Section 3.3). For HMI engineering tools,
usability plays a dual role: Firstly, it must allow the
creation of high-quality HMIs, and secondly, the time and
effort spent on engineering is reduced if the development
environment itself meets high usability requirements.
HMI Tool 1
Import f rom profess iona l
graphic s programs
HMI development tools should allow users to easily
import graphics from specialized graphics programs. Such
professional programs enable superior graphics creation,
allowing for the development of more attractive HMIs.
Attractive and easy-to-use HMIs place particular requirements
on the tools with which they are developed. The most
important of these requirements are already summarized in
the study entitled “Usability and Human-Machine Interfaces in
Production”1 from Fraunhofer IAO.
-
40
However, most HMI development tools are still not in a
position to effectively support such a process.
4.1.2 Human-centered development processes
Good design never serves its own purpose; instead it always
supports certain objectives and addresses actual target groups
in the process. The finding that people, in particular the user,
should be placed at the center of all considerations when
developing a new system is a significant insight of many
industrial companies in recent years.
The ISO standard 9241-210 “Human-centered design for
interactive systems”14 describes principles and procedures for
human-centered technical development (see Figure 3). In
addition to the active inclusion of future users into all phases
of development, this standard envisages intuitive refinement
and optimization of design drafts in order to ultimately
achieve a high probability of an efficiently-usable product
design.
Figure 3: Human-centered design process (ISO 9241-210)
HMI Des ign 1
HMI des ign in a human-centered
des ign process
User-orientated design processes have proven themselves
to be extremely successful and practical. Therefore,
companies that value high-quality HMI design are already
orientating their design and development processes in
accordance with the principles of ISO 9241-210.
14 ISO/TC 159/SC 4 (2010). ISO 9241-210:2010 Ergonomics of human-system interaction -- Part 210: Human-centered design for interactive systems.
Plan the human-centeredactivities
Understand and specifythe context of use
Specify the userrequirements
Evaluate: Sati�esrequirements?
Yes No
Produce design solutions
-
41
HMI Tool 2
Support for i terat ive des ign processes
Advanced HMI development tools should support
iterative design processes; thus, not only supporting the
realization of the end product, but also the development
and refinement of varying draft versions. Features of such
development tools include:
Information architecture and navigation structure, as
well as support for the definition of the central objects
and views
Creation of grid and layout templates that can be
used throughout all screen views
Wireframes and the linking of these to storyboards
(for example via status diagrams or flow charts)
Simple creation of interactive prototypes (click
dummies) on the basis of wireframes (for example for
early user tests)
Graphically-created user interface elements that can
be kept as generic modules in a library in order to
be able to reference them in different interaction
scenarios
Function for identifying, commenting and tracking
15 CIF: Common Industry Format. In a current ISO initiative, documentation formats for the (interim) results of a user centered design process are defined. ISO 25060 offers the framework for this: ISO/IEC TR 25060:2010 Systems and software engineering -- Systems and software product Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) -- Common Industry Format (CIF) for usability: General framework for usability-related information
proposals for improvement (such as from user tests) and
open and completed design decisions in the draft design
Tailor-made views and processing possibilities for the
different roles in a design process, such as developers,
designers, product managers, user researchers. Also, the
possibility of these people working on simultaneously on
a project
Support in the creation of documentation such as a user
interface specification
A support function for requirements management in
the design process could be helpful. This could be, for
example, covered by a reference of design drafts for
requirements that are maintained and administered in a
software tool. A somewhat more laborious alternative
would be the management of requirements in the
HMI environment directly. For example, the HMI
environment could support CIF15 compliant report
formats for requirements specifications or usage context
descriptions
4 . C H A L L E N G E S A N D A P P R O A C H E S T O H U M A N - M A C H I N E
I N T E R A C T I O N I N P R O D U C T I O N
-
42
Sense of wellbeing and lasting productivity through
usability
In addition to efforts to improve work-life balance, the
ergonomics of software solutions in particular should be
mentioned. The keyword “usability” summarizes the
properties of an interactive system that allows an
effective, efficient and satisfactory completion of working
tasks. As a result of a clear display of information and
easy operation, the productivity of human work can be
increased.
4.1.3 More than a tool
A major task for current HMIs is supporting the completion of
defined working tasks as efficiently as possible. In addition to
this pure “tool” function, HMIs can also have further effects
on corporate strategy. A fundamental distinction between
three levels of effect of HMIs can be made (see Figure 4):
Occupational safety through design-for-error
A good interaction design relates completely
systematically to error situations such as system errors
(breakdowns) and operator errors (human error). Any
eventuality that could lead to unwanted results should be
considered during the design phase. Design strategies to
avoid the detection and rectification of errors are central
characteristics of a safe and economical system (cf.
Section 4.2.3).
Figure 4: Levels of employee orientation and their equivalent in HMI design
Engagement&
Identification
Wellbeing&
Lasting Productivity
Occupational Safety&
Avoidance of Down TimeDesign for Error
Usability
User Experience
-
43
User experience (UX) is now considered one of the major
factors for the success of a product. Whilst conventional
usability engineering is primarily aimed at successful
completion of working tasks and primarily concentrates on the
avoidance of problems and the resultant stress, user
experience considers issues through a holistic perspective:
UX considers the human experience holistically and thus
includes emotions.
UX is interested in the subjective perception of the user.
Objective facts take a backseat to subjective impressions.
UX considers positive experiences in particular.
In contrast to classic usability perspectives, which are instead
aimed at avoiding negatives, positive feelings, such as
excitement, joy and trust, are the focus.
Identification and motivation by user experience
Most innovations are barely conceivable without a
commitment that goes beyond the basic mandatory
workload of an employee. A continuous improvement
plan that accepts proposals for improvement from all
colleagues is a good example. However, a fundamental
requirement for this is an employee’s ability to identify
with their company and its objectives. Such employee
commitment can be promoted considerably by the design
of the human-machine systems. The keyword “user
experience” has been summarized in recent years to
mean the properties of an HMI that offer more than the
avoidance of operating problems. User experience means
positive emotions when using technical systems. This
frequently requires interesting characteristics and
attractive design.
Figure 5: User experience encourages employee commitment and creativity(Harbich & Hassenzahl, 2011).
Usability
UX
Execute
Expand
Engage
Evolve
Individual working stages can be carried out without impairment.
Finding new ways to achieve the overridingobjective in an unconventional way.
Motivation to engage yourself beyond the actual tasks.
Working objectives are achieved by means of a different type of execution.
4 . C H A L L E N G E S A N D A P P R O A C H E S T O H U M A N - M A C H I N E
I N T E R A C T I O N I N P R O D U C T I O N
-
44
User experience can be achieved through extended
functionality to directed graphical provision. For example,
feedback on personal or group-related performance
parameters (such as “How much has already been produced in
this shift?”) can lead to experiences that relate to competence.
Approaches to rectifying errors or knowledge management
that build on the mechanisms of social media and
communities can address needs for popularity amongst
colleagues, connectedness (we help each other in difficult
situations) or influence (my proposal for a solution could be
included in the general process regulations for the whole
company)