Sabina Jeschke

Industrial Internet of Things

This book develops the core system science needed to enable the development of a complex industrial internet of things/manufacturing cyber-physical systems (IIoT/M-CPS). Gathering contributions from leading experts in the field with years of experience in advancing manufacturing, it fosters a research community committed to advancing research and education in IIoT/M-CPS and to translating applicable science and technology into engineering practice. Presenting the current state of IIoT and the concept of cybermanufacturing, this book is at the nexus of research advances from the engineering and computer and information science domains. Readers will acquire the core system science needed to transform to cybermanufacturing that spans the full spectrum from ideation to physical realization.

Industrial Internet of Things: Cybermanufacturing Systems

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an information network of physical objects (sensors, machines, cars, buildings, and other items) that allows interaction and cooperation of these objects to reach common goals [2]. While the IoT affects among others transportation, healthcare, or smart homes, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) refers in particular to industrial environments. In this context Cyber Manufacturing Systems (CMS) evolved as a significant term. This opening chapter gives a brief introduction of the development of IIoT introducing also the Digital Factory and cyber-physical systems. Furthermore, the challenges and requirements of IIoT and CMS are discussed as well as potentials regarding the application in Industry 4.0 are identified. In this process aspects as economic impact, architectural pattern and infrastructures are taken into account. Besides, also major research initiatives are presented. In addition to that, an orientation to the reader is given in this chapter by providing brief summaries of the chapters published in this book. Hereby, the following research areas are addressed: “Modeling for CPS and CPS”, “Architectural Design Patterns for CMS and IIoT”, “Communication and Networking”, “Artificial Intelligence and Analytics”, and “Evolution of Workforce and Human-Machine-Interaction”. The chapter closes with a discussion about future trends of IIoT and CMS within Industry 4.0.

Smart cities : foundations, principles, and applications

Smart cities are emerging as a priority for research and development across the world. They open up significant opportunities in several areas, such as economic growth, health, wellness, energy efficiency, and transportation, to promote the sustainable development of cities. This book provides the basics of smart cities, and it examines the possible future trends of this technology. Smart Cities: Foundations, Principles, and Applications provides a systems science perspective in presenting the foundations and principles that span multiple disciplines for the development of smart cities.

Security and Privacy in Cyber-Physical Systems : Foundations, Principles, and Applications

Written by a team of experts at the forefront of the cyber-physical systems (CPS) revolution, this book provides an in-depth look at security and privacy, two of the most critical challenges facing both the CPS research and development community and ICT professionals. It explores, in depth, the key technical, social, and legal issues at stake, and it provides readers with the information they need to advance research and development in this exciting area.

Anthropomorphism in social robotics: empirical results on human–robot interaction in hybrid production workplaces

New forms of artificial intelligence on the one hand and the ubiquitous networking of “everything with everything” on the other hand characterize the fourth industrial revolution. This results in a changed understanding of human–machine interaction, in new models for production, in which man and machine together with virtual agents form hybrid teams. The empirical study “Socializing with robots” aims to gain insight especially into conditions of development and processes of hybrid human–machine teams. In the experiment, human–robot actions and interactions were closely observed in a virtual environment. Robots as partners differed in shape and behavior (reliable or faulty). Participants were instructed to achieve an objective that could only be achieved via close teamwork. This paper unites different aspects from core disciplines of social robotics and psychology contributing to anthropomorphization with the empirical insights of the experiment. It focuses on the psychological effects (e.g. reactions of different personality types) on anthropomorphization and mechanization, taking the inter- and transdisciplinary field of social robotics as a starting point.

Improving the laser cutting process design by machine learning techniques

In the field of manufacturing engineering, process designers conduct numerical simulation experiments to observe the impact of varying input parameters on certain outputs of the production process. The disadvantage of these simulations is that they are very time consuming and their results do not help to fully understand the underlying process. For instance, a common problem in planning processes is the choice of an appropriate machine parameter set that results in desirable process outputs. One way to overcome this problem is to use data mining techniques that extract previously unknown but valuable knowledge from simulation results. This paper presents a hybrid machine learning approach for applying clustering and classification techniques in a laser cutting planning process. In a first step, a clustering algorithm is used to divide large parts of the simulation data into groups of similar performance values and select those groups that are of major interest (e.g. high cut quality results). Next, classification trees are used to identify regions in the multidimensional parameter space that are related to the found groups. The evaluation shows that the models accurately identify multidimensional relationships between the input parameters and the output values of the process. In addition to that, a combination of appropriate visualization techniques for clustering with interpretable classification trees allows designers to gain valuable insights into the laser cutting process with the aim of optimizing it through visual exploration.

On the Relevance of Digital Learning Cultures Within Online Business Education

Advancing digitisation on the job requires a rethinking and redevelopment towards a new business education that is able to address the challenges of increasing complexity. Business qualification measures have to do justice to an increasingly flexible and interconnected life and work environment that is linked to the application of new technologies. Thus, the industry of the future, including large, medium and small enterprises, must apply new ways and strategies in order to enable their employees to embrace and adequately deal with the new digital chances and challenges. In this, the important question for research and practice concerning business education is not whether digital formats should be integrated into qualification measures but indeed how they must be applied.

Age-induced changes in the lower limb muscle activities during uphill walking at steep grades

BACKGROUNDnUphill walking is particularly challenging for elderly persons. However, there is a lack of age-differentiated studies investigating the underlying differences in muscle activation when walking on sloped surfaces. These studies are needed, e.g., for planning of evacuations of large modern cruise ships with long walking distances on often inclined surfaces.nnnMETHODSnAn age-differentiated, gender-balanced study with 26 young (20-30 years) and 26 elderly people (60-77 years) was therefore conducted, investigating uphill walking at 7° and at 14° contrasted to level walking on a treadmill. EMG signals of musculus gluteus maximus (GMAX), m. biceps femoris (BF), m. rectus femoris (RF), m. vastus medialis (VM), m. gastrocnemius medialis (GAS) and m. soleus (SOL) were analysed with regard to mean and maximum muscle activities and timing during the gait cycle.nnnRESULTSnThe results showed that walking uphill at 14° was highly strainful for elderly people. In line with previous research, young people mostly pushed themselves uphill with the GAS and SOL. In contrast, elderly people not only used the known compensatory ability of hip muscles to propel the trailing leg, but also showed a high level of BF activation prolonged until the mid-stance phase at the steepest uphill gradient of 14°.nnnSIGNIFICANCEnThe strikingly long activation of the BF until the mid-stance phase in elderly people at steep gradients is an unexpected, new finding. It suggests that, instead of pushing, elderly people pull themselves uphill. In cases of evacuations, the lower physical fitness levels of elderly passengers and their increased need for assistance on inclined surfaces have to be planned for in advance. Considering the findings in (home) training programmes might help elderly people to strengthen lower limb muscles and to enhance the efficiency of muscle activation patterns enabling them to manage steep inclinations more easily.

An overview of work analysis instruments for hybrid production workplaces

With increasing technological improvements, production processes are becoming more and more automated. Nevertheless, full automation is improbable in the medium term since human abilities cannot yet be completely replaced. Therefore, it is likely that so-called hybrid human–robot teams will assume the future production. This raises questions regarding the shaping of future production and the effects it will have on the employees, workstations, and the companies as a whole. The project “Work in the Industry of the Future” (ARIZ) addresses the entirely new cooperative relationship between man and technology in the Industry 4.0 and its impact on opportunities for the work force. To derive the requirements and effects of hybrid workplaces, an initial work analysis of existing workplaces with varying levels of technological enhancement (manual workplaces, workplaces with co-existing robots and fully automated workplaces) will be conducted. Multiple standardized work analysis instruments that vary in method, duration, level of analysis, and recorded characteristics already exist. This paper gives an overview of an assortment of these methods that can be used in production.

Requirements Gathering and Validation for Risk-Oriented Tool Support in Supply Chains

Managing risks in supply chains is challenging for most companies, given that the globalisation process is strengthening production constraints and also introducing more procurements risks. This is even more difficult for smaller companies because of their lack of resources to develop specific expertise or buy expensive tools. In order to be successful, a project aiming at improving the state of practice in this area must address two key activities: gaining a good knowledge of the actual needs and validating the results. This paper reports about the process followed for supporting those activities using an agile approach. It relies on an initial survey conducted in companies, mostly from the manufacturing domain in Belgium and Germany together with the deeper involvement of 10 companies which provided concrete requirements directly linked with validation cases. We present the main outcome of the requirements gathering process, especially the survey analysis, as well as the lessons learned about our iterative validation process.