Human Programming Interface for Automation Data Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automation systems lack a machine-to-human interface, leading to inefficiencies and limited flexibility due to the manual input of human data and the inability of machines to understand human behavior, which is crucial for optimizing manufacturing processes and collaboration in smart factories.
Innovation Solution
The development of Human Programming Interfaces (HPIs) that allow machines to interact with humans by retrieving and utilizing human data, enabling digital modeling of humans within automation environments, facilitating better communication and collaboration between humans and machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If machines rely on direct manual input through MES or HMI to obtain human information, then human data can be accessed, but information input efficiency is low and system flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a Human Programming Interface (HPI) as an intermediary layer between machines and humans. The HPI translates machine requests into human-understandable formats and translates human responses into machine-processable data, eliminating the need for manual direct input while maintaining system flexibility through programmable interaction protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates digital twins as virtual copies of human workers that can be programmatically accessed by machines. These digital twins replicate human attributes, skills, and status information, allowing machines to query and interact with human data automatically without manual intervention, thereby improving information input efficiency while maintaining adaptability
2Loss of information
If HMI technology focuses on presenting machine information to humans, then human understanding of machine status is improved, but the system ignores the important roles of humans in automation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional HMI approach by creating an interface that enables machines to actively query and access human information rather than only presenting machine status to humans. The HPI allows machines to initiate requests for human data such as skills, availability, and task completion status, fundamentally changing the information flow direction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where machines can automatically receive and process human status information through the HPI. This creates a closed-loop system where machine actions trigger human status queries, and the returned information feeds back into machine decision-making processes, enabling adaptive human-machine collaboration
Data Source
AI summary
A system for interacting with humans in an automation environment includes an automation system machine, one or more processors and a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium in operable communication with the processors. The computer-readable storage medium comprises one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processors to select a human from a plurality of humans working in the automation environment; retrieve information related to the human using a human programming interface (HPI); and perform one or more actions with the automation system machine based on the information related to the human.