The research question of this thesis is: What relevant factors exist that enables humans and robots to collaborate most successfully to ensure optimal process-based workflows?
Human-robot collaboration is a fairly new field of research, and for this reason, there has been barely shed light upon this topic up to today. Thus, the purpose of this work is to investigate and analyze which factors have an impact on the collaborative work of humans. Subsequently, based on this analysis of the relevant parameters, implications can be made for human-robot collaborations to ensure optimal work settings to facilitate effective teaming.
The development of modern industrial robots is advancing year by year. Currently robots are more precise, faster and more powerful than ever before. However, despite these advancements, it is still unlikely that robots will reach the dexterity and intelligence of humans anytime soon. Therefore, at least for the foreseeable future, humans remain irreplaceable in many assembly operations. Still, this does not imply that humans and robots cannot benefit each other. On the contrary, combining the strengths of each individual creates new opportunities for collaboration and collaborative work.
Robots exhibit high precision and repeatability, can handle heavy loads and operate without performance deterioration, even in difficult or dangerous environments. However, robot control systems quickly reach their limits in recognizing and handling unpredictable situations and uncertainties in their environment, which are normally no problem for humans. This is mainly due to the ability of humans to tackle unexpected obstacles, their awareness of a much larger part of the environment than formally declared and lastly humans show more dexterity in complex or sensitive tasks. Despite that humans are more prone to error, stress or fatigue, and their employment underlies strict health and safety regulations.
Robots that interact with human beings are called collaborative robots or cobots for short. The goal of this very human-robot collaboration is not to replace the human but rather to create opportunities for humans and robots to work together towards a common aim by mutually increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of their team performance. This, for example, can be achieved by employing robots in sectors where manual labor is predominant.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1 Introduction
- 1.1 Research question
- 1.2 Method
- 1.3 Structure
- 2 Overview of human-human collaboration
- 2.1 Collaboration
- 2.2 Team Development
- 2.3 Teams
- 2.4 Teamwork
- 3 Factors affecting team performance
- 3.1 Adaptability
- 3.1.1 Coordination
- 3.1.2 Backup behavior
- 3.2 Communication
- 3.3 Mutual trust
- 3.4 Shared understanding
- 3.4.1 Groupthink
- 3.5 Team orientation
- 3.6 Team leadership
- 3.7 Team composition and characteristics
- 3.7.1 Team Size
- 3.7.2 Team Diversity
- 3.7.3 Personality types
- 4 Implications for human-robot collaboration
- 4.1 Adaptability
- 4.2 Communication
- 4.3 Trust
- 4.3.1 Appearance
- 4.4 Shared understanding
- 5 Conclusion and Outlook
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis aims to investigate the factors influencing successful human-human collaboration and apply these findings to human-robot collaboration (HRC). The goal is to identify optimal work settings that facilitate effective teaming between humans and robots.
- Factors influencing successful human-human collaboration
- Application of these factors to human-robot collaboration
- Optimal work settings for effective human-robot teaming
- Analysis of existing literature on human-human collaboration
- Implications for improving efficiency and effectiveness in HRC
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of human-robot collaboration (HRC), highlighting the complementary strengths of humans and robots. It establishes the research question: What factors enable humans and robots to collaborate most successfully? The chapter also outlines the methodology—a discourse analysis and literature review of human-human collaboration—and the structure of the thesis. The introduction emphasizes the growing importance of HRC in modern industry, given the limitations of robots in handling unpredictable situations and the irreplaceable dexterity of humans. The potential for increased efficiency and innovation through human-robot teaming is underscored.
2 Overview of human-human collaboration: This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of existing research on human-human collaboration, covering key aspects such as collaboration itself, team development, team dynamics, and teamwork. It lays the groundwork for understanding the fundamental principles of successful collaboration among humans, which will serve as a basis for the subsequent analysis of human-robot interaction. The chapter explores various theoretical frameworks and empirical findings regarding effective team functioning and the factors contributing to high-performing teams. This foundation is crucial for extrapolating insights to the relatively newer field of human-robot collaboration.
3 Factors affecting team performance: This chapter delves into the specific factors that significantly impact team performance in human-human collaboration. It systematically examines adaptability (including coordination and backup behavior), communication, mutual trust, shared understanding (including the concept of groupthink), team orientation, team leadership, and team composition and characteristics (team size, diversity, and personality types). Each factor is analyzed in detail, providing a comprehensive understanding of their influence on team effectiveness. These factors serve as the key variables for subsequent application and adaptation to the context of human-robot collaboration.
4 Implications for human-robot collaboration: This chapter applies the findings from Chapter 3 – the factors influencing successful human-human collaboration – to the context of human-robot collaboration (HRC). It examines how adaptability, communication, trust, and shared understanding, among other key factors, influence the effectiveness of human-robot teams. This chapter bridges the gap between the well-established research on human-human collaboration and the less explored area of human-robot interaction, offering practical implications for designing effective and efficient HRC systems. Specific examples and analyses are provided regarding how to foster trust and shared understanding in a human-robot team setting.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Human-robot collaboration, human-human collaboration, teamwork, team performance, adaptability, communication, trust, shared understanding, team composition, robot control systems, cobots, collaborative robots.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview
What is the overall topic of this document?
This document provides a comprehensive preview of a thesis investigating the factors influencing successful human-human collaboration and applying these findings to human-robot collaboration (HRC).
What are the key themes explored in this thesis?
The key themes include factors influencing successful human-human collaboration (adaptability, communication, trust, shared understanding, team composition, leadership), the application of these factors to human-robot collaboration, and the identification of optimal work settings for effective human-robot teaming.
What is the structure of the thesis?
The thesis is structured into five chapters: 1. Introduction, 2. Overview of human-human collaboration, 3. Factors affecting team performance, 4. Implications for human-robot collaboration, and 5. Conclusion and Outlook. Each chapter is summarized in the preview.
What is the research question addressed in this thesis?
The central research question is: What factors enable humans and robots to collaborate most successfully?
What methodology is used in the thesis?
The thesis employs a discourse analysis and literature review of human-human collaboration to understand the principles of successful collaboration and apply them to the context of human-robot interaction.
What are the key factors affecting human-human team performance discussed in the thesis?
The thesis examines several key factors impacting human-human team performance: adaptability (including coordination and backup behavior), communication, mutual trust, shared understanding (including groupthink), team orientation, team leadership, and team composition (size, diversity, personality types).
How does the thesis apply findings from human-human collaboration to human-robot collaboration?
The thesis applies the identified factors influencing successful human-human collaboration (adaptability, communication, trust, shared understanding) to the context of human-robot collaboration (HRC), exploring how these factors impact the effectiveness of human-robot teams.
What are the implications for human-robot collaboration (HRC) discussed in this thesis?
The thesis explores the implications of the findings for designing effective and efficient HRC systems, particularly focusing on fostering trust and shared understanding in human-robot teams. It aims to identify optimal work settings that facilitate effective teaming between humans and robots and improve efficiency and effectiveness in HRC.
What are the keywords associated with this thesis?
Keywords include: Human-robot collaboration, human-human collaboration, teamwork, team performance, adaptability, communication, trust, shared understanding, team composition, robot control systems, cobots, collaborative robots.
What is the overall goal of this thesis?
The overarching goal is to investigate how to improve human-robot collaboration by applying insights from well-researched principles of effective human-human collaboration, ultimately leading to more efficient and effective human-robot teams in various settings.
- Quote paper
- Lin Liu (Author), 2019, Human-Human vs. Human-Robot Collaboration, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/458072
