Operator 4.0 and Cognitive Ergonomics

With the dawn of industry 4.0, a paradigm shift must occur where the traditional work environment and manufacturing proclivities must transform into a dynamic cyber-physical systems where humans and machines work together for increased productivity and flexibility. This novel and unique work relationship will require unconventional interactions between operators and machines, which will inevitably necessitate an upgrade from the traditional operator to Operator 4.0 or Smart Operator. Engineers and operators must ameliorate their cognitive skills to adapt to Industry 4.0 working environment. Also, smart operators will be required to obtain certain cognitive skills pertaining to wearable technology, sensors or virtual reality equipment as this equipment enhances cognitive capabilities of the Operator 4.0. This research thesis bestows an analysis of Industry 4.0. And provide an evaluation of the topical state of cognitive ergonomics of Smart Operator or Operator 4.0. Considering the importance of VR applications in manufacturing, this research aims to find the cognitive skills required for Operator 4.0 in future factories. The methodology used in this research is based on a factory simulation in Virtual Reality environment. The simulation is similar to Industry 4.0 factories. Participants’ feedback and responses to the given task will help further emphasize how useful can VR in manufacturing be of a help to train future workers. Also, it can assist future designers to avoid any Graphical User Interface (GUI) issues (such as defaults in the 3D simulation as well as the controller software that is used to control the machines) and to improve the quality of such application for a better and more convenient experience. Keywords: Industry 4.0, Operator 4.0, Cognitive Ergonomics, Virtual Reality, Augmented Operator, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Smart Factory