Although the level of automation in the automotive industry is currently high, real humans are still required for assembly tasks, for example, during overhead tasks. This type of work can cause injuries in workers in this sector, especially musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), being a cause for the inability to work in developed countries and, in turn, becoming a significant health problem. There is an aim to reduce the risk for these type of injuries during the development processes of this type of assembly operations. Various options are currently being considered where technology and the human factor can be combined. Among them, we find the object of study for this project, an exoskeleton.The aim of this project is to study the biomechanical effects as well as the ergonomics of a passive exoskeleton called Paexo Shoulder, developed by the company Ottobock, with the aim of relieving tensions in the shoulder joints and upper part of the shoulders, during its use in assembly tasks. For this purpose, an experiment will be designed in which several participants will carry out a series of tasks both with and without the exoskeleton, in such a way that the effects of its use and how they affect the users of the product can be observed. For this purpose, an experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of the use or non-use of this exoskeleton on 10 participants when performing a task similar to an overhead task in an assembly line. For the evaluation of the product, the Xsens motion capture system, in particular the Awinda model, was used together with the ScaleFit software to evaluate the results obtained through the motion capture recordings. In addition, in order to improve Digital Human Modelling (DHM) tools, the same task was simulated with the IPS-IMMA software, where the results were later analysed and compared with the motion capture results through ScaleFit.The results showed relatively large improvements in the respective moment reduction at the shoulder joint when using the exoskeleton. However, it was also observed that due to the upward force exerted by the exoskeleton on the arms, participants spent less time in low-risk areas evaluated by ScaleFit and therefore, this effect needs to be studied further.

In order to produce an Interactive MultiMedia Application (IMMA), the developer of that application needs a set of tools for such tasks as capturing, modifying, editing, sequencing, synchronizing, archiving, versioning, and backing up. The heart of this set of tools is an Integrator which can be used by the developer to assemble various multimedia objects into an IMMA and provide the end-user with ways of interacting with that IMMA. This work focuses on that essential tool - the multimedia Integrator. The Integrator uses a graphical interface that exploits a notation like that of a musical score. The IMMA produced by the Integrator is inherently parallel and includes elements required to define the asynchronous nature of applications, along with a standard set of multimedia objects. The timing and synchronization representation used by the Integrator is based on the model presented by the HyTime standard group. We also have explored the representation of our objects and their attributes according to the Multimedia Hypermedia Expert Group (MHEG) standard model as defined by the MHEG committee. This work formalizes the design of the Integrator and its constructs using the HyTime Draft International Standard (ISO/IEC DIS 10744). Multimedia application objects and their attributes are described, timing and synchronization aspects of the Integrator and some examples of IMMAs are explained, and several of these examples using the HyTime document structuring language are given. / Master of Science

The growing implementation of ergonomics in the automotive sector sets high demands on Digital Human Modelling (DHM) functionalities towards the simulation of more realistic environments and the reduction of physical model dependency. During the current degree project a leading element that smartly assembles DHM usage (implementation of high-level commanding languages) was designed, revolving around the industries’ needs which were gathered and interpreted in order to organize current functions in this language and suggest new complementary functions that would create a language environment suitable for non-expert users. This was achieved by focusing in an intuitive word-function structure, the proposal of defaults and other tools that aid users with different kinds of expertise. The need for realism of simulations was assessed by the language design especially by designing means to coordinate synchronic manikin-actions. / Virtual Driver

Purpose To investigate the possibility to reduce the number of failures caused by moisture and dust ingress in lighting equipment by looking towards customer acceptance and warranty claims, and then translate the result to technical attributes. Methodology The methodology is set up to be a part of a Design for Six Sigma project including the steps up to Concept development and business/customer approval. Known product development tools are used to evaluate existing techniques and generate new concepts. Customer analysis is done by surveys and investigating warranty claims. Result & Conclusions The customer analysis in this thesis show that Brazil and to some extent UK is the countries where the problem is seen as most severe. It also shows that complaints regarding dust are far more common than complaints regarding moisture when it comes to lamps placed at the lower part at the front of the truck. When the results from the customer analysis are compared with the technical aspects it shows that the most beneficial way to deal with the problem is to create a good air flow while still keeping the pore size, which could be done by using membranes and the help from CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations. Trapping solutions are also welcomed by the customer as long as they can be part of the regular service. / Syfte Att undersöka behov och möjligheter att reducera problem med fukt och damminträngning i exteriöra belysningsartiklar på lastbilar genom att titta på kundacceptans och garantiärenden samt översätta detta till tekniska attribut. Metod Arbetet är upplagt som en del av ett Design for Six Sigma-projekt och innefattar stegen fram till Concept development and business/customer approval. Kända produktutvecklingsverktyg används för att ta fram underlag till konceptgenerering. Kundanalys utförs med hjälp av enkäter och undersökningar av garantiärenden. Resultat & slutsats Kundanalysen i denna examensrapport visar att Brasilien och Storbritannien är de länder där problemet uppfattas som störst. Den visar också att klagomål gällande damm är mycket vanligare än klagomål gällande fukt när det gäller lyktor placerade i den nedre delen i fronten på lastbilen. När resultaten från kundanalysen jämförs med de tekniska aspekterna finner man att det mest gynnsamma sättet att ta sig an problemet är att försöka få bra ett bra luftflöde i lyktorna men samtidigt minimera porstorleken. Detta kan man åstadkomma med hjälp av membran och CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simuleringar. Lösningar som handlar om att fånga upp dammet och fukten accepteras också av kunden så länge som detta kan lösas med hjälp av den vanliga servicen.

Future manufacturing will be characterized by the complementarity between humans and automation (human-robot collaboration). This requires new methods and tools for the design and operation of optimized manufacturing workplaces in terms of ergonomics, safety, efficiency, complexity management and work satisfaction. There have been some efforts in the recent years to propose a tool for determining optimal human-automation levels for load balancing. Although the topic is quite new, it shares some similarities with some of the existing research in the area of robotic assembly line balancing. Therefore, it is crucial to review the existing literature and find the most similar models and methods to facilitate the development of new optimization models and algorithms. One of the two contributions that this thesis gives to the research world in the RALBP context is a literature review that involves high quality articles from 1993 to beginning 2018. This literature review includes visual and comprehensive tables—and a label system— where previous research patterns and trends are highlighted. Visualization of data and results obtained by assembly line optimization tools is a very important topic that has rarely been studied. Data visualization would provide a: 1. better comprehension of patterns, trends and qualitative data 2. more constructive information absorption 3. better visualization of relationships and patterns between operations, and 4. better contribution to data manipulation and interaction. The second contribution to research found in this thesis is the use of a human modelling (DHM) tool (called IPS), which is proposed as an assessment to the ergonomic risk that a robotic assembly line may involve. This kind of studies are necessary in order to reduce one of the most frequent reasons of work absence in our today society i.e. musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). MSDs are often the result of poor work environments and they lead to reduced productivity and quality losses at companies. In view of the above, IPS was used in order to resolve the load handling problem between human and robot, depending on their skills and availability, while fulfilling essential ISO standards i.e. 15066 and 10218:1 and :2. The literature review made it possible to select highly useful documents in developing assumptions for the experiment and contributed to consider real features detected in the industry. Results show that even though IPS is not capable of calculating an entire robotic assembly with human-robot collaboration, it is able to simulate a workstation constituted of one robot and one human. Finite and assembly motions for both human and robot are expected to be implemented in future versions of the software. Finally, the main advantages of using DHM tools in assessing ergonomic risks in RALB can be extracted from the results of this thesis. This advantages include 1. ergonomic evaluation for assembly motions 2. ergonomic evaluation for a full working day (available in future version) and 3. essential ISO standard testing (available in future version).

Bad worker health leads to an unnecessary increase of absent days and loss of money, particularly the more physically demanding jobs as in industry. This can be seen in both a broader perspective and also in the suffering of the individual. In order to stop this trend and lower the work injuries connected to bad ergonomics good, reliable, and preferably digital, methods have to be generated and evaluated. The aim of this master’s thesis is to investigate how Digital Human Modelling (DHM) tools can beused to evaluate physical ergonomics by building a real-life workstation in the DHM tool IPS IMMA. The workstation used here is based on a newly installed station at a large company placed in Skövde. This station was developed in collaboration of both technical specialists but also ergonomist consulting from the company Feelgood. The goal has therefore been to examine where in the process a DHM tool could be used and if it would contribute to the process. The methods chosen to investigate the use of DHM tools were to build a final model in IPS IMMA, which is based of four different versions of the workstation. By building four different versions of the workstation the process has simultaneously been analyzed and documented in order to compare the findings made in the program to the ones made in real life. The results have also been made in combination to finding the opportunities, challenges, and disadvantages with using DHM tools. The needed improvements within the DHM field have also been noted and discussed.

Future manufacturing will be characterized by the complementarity between humans and automation (human-robot collaboration). This requires new methods and tools for the design and operation of optimized manufacturing workplaces in terms of ergonomics, safety, efficiency, complexity management and work satisfaction. There have been some efforts in the recent years to propose a tool for determining optimal human-automation levels for load balancing. Although the topic is quite new, it shares some similarities with some of the existing research in the area of robotic assembly line balancing. Therefore, it is crucial to review the existing literature and find the most similar models and methods to facilitate the development of new optimization models and algorithms. One of the two contributions that this thesis gives to the research world in the RALBP context is a literature review that involves high quality articles from 1993 to beginning 2018. This literature review includes visual and comprehensive tables—and a label system— where previous research patterns and trends are highlighted. Visualization of data and results obtained by assembly line optimization tools is a very important topic that has rarely been studied. Data visualization would provide a: 1. better comprehension of patterns, trends and qualitative data 2. more constructive information absorption 3. better visualization of relationships and patterns between operations, and 4. better contribution to data manipulation and interaction. The second contribution to research found in this thesis is the use of a human modelling (DHM) tool (called IPS), which is proposed as an assessment to the ergonomic risk that a robotic assembly line may involve. This kind of studies are necessary in order to reduce one of the most frequent reasons of work absence in our today society i.e. musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). MSDs are often the result of poor work environments and they lead to reduced productivity and quality losses at companies. In view of the above, IPS was used in order to resolve the load handling problem between human and robot, depending on their skills and availability, while fulfilling essential ISO standards i.e. 15066 and 10218:1 and :2. The literature review made it possible to select highly useful documents in developing assumptions for the experiment and contributed to consider real features detected in the industry. Results show that even though IPS is not capable of calculating an entire robotic assembly with human-robot collaboration, it is able to simulate a workstation constituted of one robot and one human. Finite and assembly motions for both human and robot are expected to be implemented in future versions of the software. Finally, the main advantages of using DHM tools in assessing ergonomic risks in RALB can be extracted from the results of this thesis. This advantages include 1. ergonomic evaluation for assembly motions 2. ergonomic evaluation for a full working day (available in future version) and 3. essential ISO standard testing (available in future version).