Margherita Peruzzini | Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy (original) (raw)

Papers by Margherita Peruzzini

2022 IEEE International Conference on Metrology for Extended Reality, Artificial Intelligence and Neural Engineering (MetroXRAINE)

Sustainability

Today, sustainability represents a fundamental concept to be developed and implemented in any ind... more Today, sustainability represents a fundamental concept to be developed and implemented in any industrial context. Therefore, it is essential to be able to measure sustainability performance by proper indicators, along the entire lifecycle and the value chain, considering environmental, economic, and social impacts. Moreover, every manufacturing company should have a specific measuring framework to calculate all the specific parameters. In this direction, the modern digital transition and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies are proposing to transform human–machine relations, with a significant impact on social and organizational aspects. At the same time, digitization can help companies to define and implement sustainability by correlating production with proper evaluation metrics. The aim of this research is to provide a complete overview of sustainability Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) based on the Triple Bottom Line concept, referring to the three sustainability areas. Such an ove...

Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing

DYNA INGENIERIA E INDUSTRIA

Although the so-called Industry 4.0 trend is promoting the increasing automation of processes in ... more Although the so-called Industry 4.0 trend is promoting the increasing automation of processes in the factories of the future, manual activities still play an extremely important role within the factory and human factors greatly affect the process performance. However, the analysis of humanmachine interaction and the prediction of human performance in industry are difficult but crucial to have an optimized design of workspaces and interfaces, reducing time and cost of implementation, and avoiding late design changes. This research adopts a multimodal human-centered approach for the analysis of human-machine interaction, and proposes a multimodal experimental setup for the evaluation of the workers' experience to support the design of industrial workstations. The setup combines virtual mock-ups, interaction with both physical and virtual objects, and monitoring sensors to track users and analyze their actions and reactions. It allows creating a multimodal environment able to deepen the interaction between humans and systems or interfaces, to support design activities. Indeed, it has been demonstrated that the analysis of the reactions of the users involved, allows to evaluate the quality of the interaction, identify the critical issues, define corrective actions, and propose guidelines for system design or redesign [1]. The paper describes the application of the proposed setup on two industrial case studies and reports the main results.

Applied Sciences

The human-centered design (HCD) approach places humans at the center of design in order to improv... more The human-centered design (HCD) approach places humans at the center of design in order to improve both products and processes, and to give users an effective, efficient and satisfying interactive experience. In industrial design and engineering, HCD is very useful in helping to achieve the novel Industry 5.0 concept, based on improving workers’ wellbeing by providing prosperity beyond jobs and growth, while respecting the production limits of the planet as recently promoted by the European Commission. In this context, the paper proposes an ergonomic assessment method based on the analysis of the workers’ workload to support the design of industrial products and processes. This allows the simultaneous analysis of the physical and cognitive workload of operators while performing their tasks during their shift. The method uses a minimum set of non-invasive wearable devices to monitor human activity and physiological parameters, in addition to questionnaires for subjective self-assessm...

IDMME – Virtual Concept 2008, 2008

This study explores the potentialities of Virtual Reality for improving the learning process of m... more This study explores the potentialities of Virtual Reality for improving the learning process of mechanical product design. It is focused on the definition of a proper experimental VR-based set-up whose performances match mechanical design learning purposes, such as assemblability and tolerances prescription. The method consists of two main activities: the benchmarking of VR technologies based on sensory feedback and the evaluation of how VR tools can impact on the learning curves. In order to quantify the performance of the technology, an evaluation protocol is defined and an experimental plan is set. Evaluation parameters are divided into performance and usability metrics to distinguish cognitive and technical aspects of the learning process. The experimental VR-based set up is tested on students in mechanical engineering through the application of the protocol

Advances in Transdisciplinary Engineering, 2020

Designing highly usable and ergonomic control dashboards is fundamental to support the user in ma... more Designing highly usable and ergonomic control dashboards is fundamental to support the user in managing and properly setting complex machines, like trains, airplanes, trucks and tractors. Contrarily, control dashboards are usually big, intrusive, full of controls and not really usable for different users. This paper focuses on the re-design of an ergonomic and compact dashboard for tractor control, proposing an innovative methodology in line with human-centered design and ergonomics principles. The study started by shifting the focus from how a machine works to how a task has to be performed and how the user interacts with the machine. It uses virtual simulations and human performance analysis tools to support the concept generation and the detailed design, and to test the new idea with users in the virtual lab. Indeed, within the virtual environment, different configurations of controls can be tested, checking which controls are mostly used and measuring human performance indexes (...

Sustainability, 2022

Virtual reality (VR) is among the main technologies revolutionizing numerous sectors, including t... more Virtual reality (VR) is among the main technologies revolutionizing numerous sectors, including tourism. In the latter context, virtual tours (VTs) are finding increasing application. Providing an immersive and realistic human–machine interaction, VR tours can bring visitors to virtually experience destination areas. The proposed research presents a theoretical and empirical investigation of the role played by some technical VR features (i.e., presence, immersion, ease-of-use) on VR visitors’ enjoyment, satisfaction, and, accordingly, on the physical visit intention of the production site and neighboring areas. After having experienced a 360-degree VR tour of a food production site, created specifically for this study, 140 visitors were surveyed online. Results—emerging from a PLS structural equation model—show that immersion and presence both directly impact the enjoyment and indirectly the user’s VR tour satisfaction and visit intention. Further, if the VR tour is perceived as eas...

In questo volume sono raccolte le memorie presentate in occasione della "Dodicesima Giornata... more In questo volume sono raccolte le memorie presentate in occasione della "Dodicesima Giornata di Studio Ettore Funaioli", che si è svolta il 20 luglio 2018 presso la Scuola di Ingegneria e Architettura dell'Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna. La Giornata è stata organizzata dagli ex allievi del Prof. Ettore Funaioli con la collaborazione del DIN – Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale e della Scuola di Ingegneria e Architettura dell'Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, e con il patrocinio dell'Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna e del GMA – Gruppo di Meccanica Applicata.

International Journal of Advanced Operations Management, 2021

International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing, 2021

ABSTRACT Successful interaction with complex processes, like those in the modern factory, is base... more ABSTRACT Successful interaction with complex processes, like those in the modern factory, is based on the system’s ability to satisfy the user needs during human tasks, mainly related to performances, physical comfort, usability, accessibility, visibility, and mental workload. However, the ‘real’ user perception is hidden and usually difficult to detect. User eXperience (UX) is a useful concept related to subjective perceptions and responses that result from the interaction with a product, system or process, including users’ emotions, beliefs, preferences, perceptions, physical and psychological responses, behaviors and accomplishments that occur before, during and after use. The paper proposes the creation of a User eXperience Index (UXI) to assess the quality of human-system interaction during job tasks and, consequently, evaluate both process and workstation. The proposed approach has been applied to improve the design of assembly human tasks, using a virtual simulated case study focusing on tractor assembly. Tests with users, with different levels of expertise, allowed us to validate the proposed approach and to optimize the assembly task sequence. Results showed how the proposed UXI can validly objectify the workers’ experience and can be validly used to improve the design of human tasks.

Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering, 2019

Human-centered design is based on the satisfaction of the user needs mainly related to performanc... more Human-centered design is based on the satisfaction of the user needs mainly related to performances, interaction, usability, accessibility, and visibility issues. However, the quality of the interaction process is hidden and usually difficult to detect. The paper proposes a multidisciplinary assessment tool for the evaluation of the human-machine interaction, based on the collection of physiological data and anthropometrical performance data. Such a method can be used both within on-field tests and virtual simulations, supporting the spread of digital approaches in industry. The methodology allows objectifying how users interact with machine or interface items, thanks to the collection of the users' performance during task execution, the digitalization of collected data, and the evaluation of users' physical and mental workload. Such a system has been applied to an industrial case study focusing on agricultural machinery driving and control to support the system redesign in terms of interface features, commands' location and grouping, and positioning of additional devices.

Applied Sciences, 2021

This paper presents an integrated approach for the design of human-robot collaborative workstatio... more This paper presents an integrated approach for the design of human-robot collaborative workstations in industrial shop floors. In particular, the paper presents how to use virtual reality (VR) technologies to support designers in the creation of interactive workstation prototypes and in early validation of design outcomes. VR allows designers to consider and evaluate in advance the overall user experience, adopting a user-centered perspective. The proposed approach relies on two levels: the first allows designers to have an automatic generation and organization of the workstation physical layout in VR, starting from a conceptual description of its functionalities and required tools; the second aims at supporting designers during the design of Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) by interaction mapping, HMI prototyping and testing in VR. The proposed approach has been applied on two realistic industrial case studies related to the design of an intensive warehouse and a collaborative assem...

Active ageing is actually one of the key topics of European research mainly due to rapidly popula... more Active ageing is actually one of the key topics of European research mainly due to rapidly population ageing, increasing cost of health care, and growing importance of living independently (1). Active ageing basically means helping people stay in charge of their own lives as long as possible as they age and, where possible, contribute to economy and society. In order to achieve this goal, assistive technologies and ambient- assisted intelligence are applied to enable people to live at home longer and better by tools (i.e. smart objects, intelligent devices) being sensitive and responsive to their presence, conditions and actions. The research describes the development of an Assis- tive Integrated Platform (AIP) that follows used-centered design (UCD) principles and merges domotic and assistive components. The system consists of a central intelli- gence (i.e. Integration Platform (IP)), a network of Smart Objects sharing information from/to the IP, and a set of gateways enabling communication with home automation systems. A laboratory has been set-up to carry out usability tests with users

In the past years, plethora of complex problems facing scientists has highly increased and the ne... more In the past years, plethora of complex problems facing scientists has highly increased and the necessary knowledge required to understand and resolve these problems in economy and society has been evolving rapidly. The use of information and communication technology in modern products such as cyber-physical systems determines an even increased and thus arbitrary range of variety. Especially, the entertainment systems in automotive industry will be revolutionized concerning functionality and usability aspects. The seamless integration of information and communication technology and even the utilization of mobile platform technologies will result in new variants that have to be handled correctly in the manufacturing context. Editorial to the Special Issue Integration and Management in Transdisciplinary Engineering

Nevertheless process automation is a global trend, some specific phases (i.e., assembly) in highl... more Nevertheless process automation is a global trend, some specific phases (i.e., assembly) in highly technological sectors (i.e., medical, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, dental) are still managed by human workers, due to high-precision tasks and low production volumes. In this context, operators are forced to work faster and adapt to not ergonomically workstations and workflows. As a consequence, human assembly is frequently the bottleneck of the entire process due a not ergonomic layout and process design. The study was conducted at a medical equipment manufacturer, leader of dental equipment production, and focused on the analysis of the assembly process of the dental units. Workers at the assembly line were observed by experts and involved also by interviews and focus groups to detect the assembly issues and process jam. The research provides a valuable example of how physical, cognitive and organizational ergonomic problems affect the final process performance and how human-oriented redesign actions can be easily defined according to the proposed analysis procedure.

One of the biggest unsolved problems of modern industry is the control of the ratio between cost ... more One of the biggest unsolved problems of modern industry is the control of the ratio between cost and performance of complex machines from the early stages of design. Indeed, it requires a synthetic analysis of manufacturing knowledge and a successful collaboration among the numerous actors involved in cost and performance evaluation. Although some methodologies and different theoretical approaches have been defined, effective implementation is still far from reality due to hard implementation that takes a lot of time and requires a strong collaboration among highly specialized resources with different background and expertise. In such context, this paper presents a methodology integrating Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) principles, Design To Cost (DTC) and Value Analysis (VA) to optimize complex system design from the conceptual stages. It presents an industrial case study focused on the re-design of a machine for automated management of drugs, where an interdisciplinary team act to identify cost / performance imbalances and optimize the overall design. The machine re-design brought to a global cost saving of about 20% and a sensible improvement of the global product sustainability and reliability due to product structure simplification, selection of improved design solutions and optimization of some manufacturing processes

Product-Service System (PSS) allows creating new business opportunities for companies, but also n... more Product-Service System (PSS) allows creating new business opportunities for companies, but also new challenges. The research defines a user-centred design methodology for PSS, which includes user-centred practices to investigate the users’ needs and virtual prototyping to create immersive and interactive virtual mock-ups able to simulate the product-service behaviours for the evaluation of the user experience. An industrial case study is presented and the benefits in respect to traditional methods are demonstrated.

It is well known that industrial processes require large consumption of energy and other resource... more It is well known that industrial processes require large consumption of energy and other resources during the product manufacturing phase. This exploitation of energy is reflected both in terms of environmental impact and in terms of economic impact, which can be measured through specific tools. The measurement of these environmental and economic impacts is an essential step towards both the control of the energy consumption and energy costs and in sustainability energy assessment. In this paper is presented the extrusion process of plastic materials in a big Italian company. This process is highly energy-consuming and for this reason it is necessary monitoring the energy consumption and controlling the process parameters to increase the energy sustainability and, at the same time, decrease the environmental and social impacts. The aim of this work is presenting a methodology to capture the extrusion process sustainability to have a base line useful to compare the results of any oth...

The analysis of human factors is assuming an increasing importance in product and process design ... more The analysis of human factors is assuming an increasing importance in product and process design and the lack of common references for their assessment in industrial practices had driven to define a reference model to analyse the so-called User eXperience (UX) to support human-centred product-process design. Indeed, the recent advances in ubiquitous computing, wearable technologies and low-cost connected devices offer a huge amount of new tools for UX monitoring, but the main open issue is selecting the most proper devices for the specific application area and properly interpreting the collected information content in respect with the industrial design goals. The research investigates how to analyse the human behaviours of “users” (i.e., workers) by a reference model to assess the perceived experience and a set of proper technologies for UX investigation for industrial scopes. In particular, the model has been defined for the automotive sector. The paper defines a set of evaluation ...