Adaptive Work Support Based on Worker Change Recognition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing work support systems provide either excessive or insufficient support to workers based on their skill level and awareness of work changes, leading to decreased work efficiency and motivation, particularly affecting the growth of unskilled workers.

Innovation Solution

A work support system that includes sensors and a management server to detect work changes and recognize worker awareness, adjusting support content in real-time to ensure appropriate guidance without disturbing skilled workers, thereby enhancing the growth rate of unskilled workers and improving overall efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If work support is provided based on skill level regardless of worker awareness of work change, then support is provided to all workers uniformly, but work efficiency drops and worker motivation decreases due to excessive support

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport provisionVSAvoidwork efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system monitors worker operations and provides feedback only when work changes are detected and the worker is determined to be unaware of the change. This feedback mechanism adjusts support provision dynamically based on real-time detection of worker awareness status, preventing excessive support to aware workers while ensuring necessary support to unaware workers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The support system transitions from a static, uniform support approach to a dynamic approach that adapts to real-time conditions. The system continuously detects work changes and assesses worker awareness, adjusting the level of support provided accordingly. This dynamic adjustment ensures support is given only when necessary, maintaining worker efficiency and motivation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If work support is provided to unskilled workers during work changes, then worker growth is supported, but skilled workers' time is consumed and work efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveworker growthVSAvoidwork efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables unskilled workers to receive automated work support information independently, without requiring skilled workers to provide direct guidance. The automated system detects work changes and provides appropriate support information to workers based on their skill level and awareness status, freeing skilled workers to focus on their own work while still supporting worker development.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If support content is not adjusted based on worker awareness of work change, then simple support rules are maintained, but excessive support is provided to aware workers reducing their motivation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport rule simplicityVSAvoidworker motivation
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements automated detection of worker awareness status through monitoring of worker operations and comparisons with ideal operation sequences. This feedback mechanism determines whether support should be provided based on detected awareness status, automatically adjusting support content without complex manual rules while preserving worker motivation by avoiding excessive support to aware workers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3955070B1Work support apparatus and work support method
Publication Date: 2024.10.09 HITACHI LTD
  • EP3955070B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3955070B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3955070B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A work support apparatus holds a value indicating information on at least one of an apparatus used for a work and a worker, a work change recognition determination algorithm, and a work support content corresponding to a determination result, applies a value indicating information on at least one of the apparatus and the worker 101 to the work change recognition determination algorithm, determines whether or not the worker 101 recognizes a work change indicating at least one of a change in a work process and a transition between a normal state and an abnormal state of a work, and outputs, to the output device 160, a work support content corresponding to the determination result.