Developing work processes using flexible robotic solutions

Next Generation

Demographic change and unfilled apprenticeship vacancies are defining features of – and place a strain on – human resources policy within German industry, the skilled trades and the service sector. At the same time, the service sector providing integration support in accordance with Social Code Book IX (Rehabilitation and Participation of People with Disabilities) faces the task of qualifying people with a high need for support, due to physical and mental impairments, for the general labour market.

The majority of this group of people wish to participate in working life – yet most employers are unaware of the work potential of people with disabilities, or it seems unrealistic or unachievable to them due to the need for a customised working environment. The Industry 4.0 approach offers people with disabilities the opportunity to understand and utilise new technologies as a tool for promoting inclusion. It enables people with disabilities, whose labour market potential has previously been overlooked, to gain barrier-free and inclusive access to the labour market, thereby allowing participants to be perceived as important members of the working community and to experience a significant improvement in their quality of life.

Goals and content

People with complex, severe and multiple disabilities are often employed in roles that fall below their personal cognitive abilities. This frequently leads to dissatisfaction with their employment situation due to a lack of perceived self-efficacy.

The project was carried out against the backdrop of so-called human-robot collaboration, in which humans and robots can work interactively on the same object. The core idea of human-robot collaboration is to provide technical support for people with disabilities by compensating for physical impairments. In this way, people with disabilities were provided with an innovative and flexible assistive tool, which has ensured a new form of accessibility, particularly in work contexts. The aim was to enable people with complex, severe and multiple disabilities to participate in the general labour market.

The project has a goal that is valuable in human terms. It is not about streamlining processes for economic gain or squeezing the maximum productivity out of people. The goal is participation.

Dr. Martin Riedel, Teamleader: Mechatronics, Safety and Energy efficiency, KUKA Deutschland GmbH