User-centered analysis for the implementation of industrial mobile robots

Mobile industrial robots have the potential for the execution of tasks, especially in logistics, to relieve human workers. When planning to implement a mobile industrial robot in an environment with human coworkers, it is necessary to regard the coworker's needs and frustrations. In order to structure this process, this paper presents an analysis and conception approach for the integration of the coworkers into the planning process for the application of a mobile robot. It is based on the standardized process of Human Centered Design (HCD). The HCD activities conducted in this project are: task observation, task and environment analysis, a questionnaire to capture the attitude of the workers towards robots, interviews with the coworkers about their needs and concerns regarding a robot application, the implementation of a cardboard engineered robot, interviews about the interaction needs and the derivation of the requirements.