Designing Human-Robot Collaboration for Semi-Automated Liquid Cargo Handling

Today, the handling of liquid cargo in inland navigation, especially the mounting and unmounting of the loading hoses, is a predominantly manual and physically demanding operation that carries a high risk of damage due to human error. In response to these problems, the ongoing research project “CoboTank” focuses on the development of a collaborative robot application and the application-specific robot system for this use case. In particular, the implementation of the collaborative robot aims to reduce physical workload on workers while simultaneously minimizing the number of personnel required for the task, without increasing the risk of damage. The implementation of a collaborative robot application requires the formulation of a robust safety concept for human-robot collaboration (HRC) and the systematic allocation of tasks between the human operator and the robot. This contribution addresses these two key aspects. The developed safety concept uses the safety mode of hand guided controls (HGC) according to standard ISO 10218 together with a user-centered human-machine interface, designed especially for this application. The task allocation approach first considers feasibility and economic efficiency in the evaluation between manual, automated or HRC-based realization of a work step and afterwards implements the HRC-based work steps based on human factors. Both presented solutions not only aim to achieve physical relief and ensure user-friendliness but also play a pivotal role in enabling the remaining worker to maintain sufficient situation awareness to make appropriate decisions in emergencies and unforeseen situations. This enables the prevention of personal injury, as well as environmental or material damage. To ensure practical applicability, the solutions developed were validated by inland waterway boatmen trainees, as well as tank terminals and other stakeholders in the industry. This ensures user-centered development and guarantees the transferability of the solutions to comparable applications.