Sense&React defines 4 distinct and complementary S&T objectives. These are defined in a way to allow the individual development of the enabling key technologies throughout the duration of the project, while considering the integration aspects and demonstration aspects.
- Factory wide sensing and ICT infrastructure: Sense&React develops a seamless end-to-end infrastructure, from sensing data from the manufacturing environment, subsequent real time data acquisition and management to information visualization onto display devices such as mobile devices, large screen and industrial touch screens. The development of such ICT and sensing architecture considers safety and energy consumption aspects. Safety is planned to be addressed by providing the ability to detect unsafe conditions for the personnel (especially shop-floor operators) and energy efficiency by reducing energy consumption (e.g. automatically shut-off auxiliary equipment when personnel leave area).
- Intelligent management of manufacturing information in real-time: Sense&React is planned to develop new methods and techniques for intelligent utilization of manufacturing information coming from different types of sources (sensor networks and Manufacturing Execution Systems) in order to achieve real-time optimization, better scheduling and efficient dispatching of tasks, which will enable energy-aware and agile manufacturing. In addition to better utilization of information, Sense&React intends to develop new information structures and information flow approaches that take into care the cognitive load of the personnel and will optimise the amount of information presented to the personnel.
- User interfaces in shop-floor environments: Sense&React targets at better presentation of the available information to the plant personnel. In many situations in today’s manufacturing, important information reach plant personnel too late, are lost, or are not properly provided. Sense&React aims at avoiding such problems by providing the plant personnel only with the type and amount of information that is relevant for the role the personnel are playing in manufacturing.
- Real-time optimization of process planning and scheduling: Sense&React develops and applies factory-wide optimization methods for utilizing real-time data, such as personnel or part location data from the sensors network, to modify production scheduling parameters targeting mainly at human operations. Fast and efficient reallocation of plant personnel at any point of time may lead to a smooth adaptation in case of unexpected or unpredictable events, such as the introduction of extra orders in the line, the change of product sequence, or failures. Moreover, Sense&React scheduling and dispatching optimization methods will take into account dynamic parameters related to human performance (such as fatigue, stress and repeatability) and cognitive capabilities.