Robust Assembly Assistance Using Informed Tree Search with Markov Chains

Manual work accounts for one of the largest workgroups in the European manufacturing sector, and improving the training capacity, quality, and speed brings significant competitive benefits to companies. In this context, this paper presents an informed tree search on top of a Markov chain that suggests possible next assembly steps as a key component of an innovative assembly training station for manual operations. The goal of the next step suggestions is to provide support to inexperienced workers or to assist experienced workers by providing choices for the next assembly step in an automated manner without the involvement of a human trainer on site. Data stemming from 179 experiment participants, 111 factory workers, and 68 students, were used to evaluate different prediction methods. From our analysis, Markov chains fail in new scenarios and, therefore, by using an informed tree search to predict the possible next assembly step in such situations, the prediction capability of the hybrid algorithm increases significantly while providing robust solutions to unseen scenarios. The proposed method proved to be the most efficient for next assembly step prediction among all the evaluated predictors and, thus, the most suitable method for an adaptive assembly support system such as for manual operations in industry.

Methodology of Implementing Virtual Reality in Education for Industry 4.0

This paper presents an entirely new approach to the use of virtual reality (VR) in the educational process for the needs of Industry 4.0. It is based on the proposed comprehensive methodology, including the design, creation, implementation and evaluation of individual courses implemented in a VR environment. An essential feature of the new methodology is its universality and comprehensiveness. Thanks to that, it can be applied in such areas as higher education, aviation, automotive, shipbuilding, energy and many others. The paper also identifies the significant advantages and disadvantages of VR-based education that may determine its use scope and profile. In addition, on the basis of the proposed methodology, a model of a training station using VR technology has been developed to enable the realization of training classes in the field of firefighting activities that should be undertaken during the hazard arising from the operation of a numerically controlled production machine. Results of the conducted training using this station were also presented. The study showed the potential of training based on a virtual environment to improve participants’ skills and knowledge. The development and implementation of adequate courses in the VR environment can reduce costs and increase the safety and efficiency of employees’ performed activities.

A speech recognition approach for an industrial training station

This paper presents a speech recognition service used in the context of commanding and guiding the activities around an industrial training station. The entire concept is built on a decentralized microservice architecture and one of the many hardware and software components is the speech recognition engine. This engine grants users the possibility to interact seamlessly with other components in order to ensure a gradual and productive learning process. By working with different API’s for both English and Romanian languages, the presented approach manages to obtain good speech recognition for defining task phrases aiding the training procedure and to reduce the recognition required time by almost 50%.

Profitable Patriotism

World War I gave John Philip Sousa, always an astute businessman, several opportunities to reshape his image and rebuild his career. Sousa embraced first neutrality, and then preparedness, notably in championing “Wake Up, America” during his residency at New York’s Hippodrome. When the country entered the war, Sousa was acclaimed for his quintessential patriotism, and he enlisted in the Naval Reserve to train bandsmen at the Great Lakes Training Station. He even changed his appearance, shaving off his celebrated beard; and he joined in anti-German jingoism, writing a wedding march as a substitute for Wagner and Mendelssohn. By war’s end, he had recaptured the public imagination and rebuilt his legend for the years to come.

Conceptual Overview of an Anthropocentric Training Station for Manual Operations in Production

The paper presents a conceptual overview of a human-centred training station for manual operations (ATASMO). It identifies the main users of the system but also the long-tern targeted features of ATASMO. Moreover, the current implementation, its limitations and future work on ATASMO is synthetically presented.

CREATION OF “KULINDA” SCIENTIFIC AND TRAINING STATION AND PERSPECTIVES OF INVOLVEMENT OF THE REGIONAL PROTECTED NATURAL AREA INTO SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGION

One of the main principles of “green economy” is the organization of business activity in such a way as to enhance welfare of people and provide for social equity while considerably decreasing risks of the environmental degradation. The purpose of the article is to study possibilities and conditions of involvement of the regional protected natural area being created into social and economic development. “Kulinda” scientific and training station in the Chernyshevsky District of the Trans-Baikal Territory is being created for preservation and study of the unique location where Kulindadromeus zabaikalicus dinosaur fossils have been found. The station is referred to the new category of regional specially protected natural areas. The performed studies have confirmed the conservation value of the territory and necessity of specially protected natural area creation in the Chernyshevsky District of the Trans-Baikal Territory. The nearest rural settlement (village of Novoilinsk) is an area with an unfavorable socio-economic situation: low standard of living, unemployment, and annual outflow of population. Development of tourism on the basis of natural resources and areas of interest of the scientific and training station is viewed as a possibility to involve population of villages being abandoned into the economic activity. The article analyzes available opportunities and perspective directions of tourism for the object: geological (geotourism), academical (scientific), educational, agricultural (agrotourism), and ecological tourism. In addition, the article considers negative factors hindering the development of rural areas and the scientific and training station: lack of financing, poor transport accessibility, imperfection of service infrastructure, and seasonality of the scientific and training station activity. The author makes a conclusion that development of tourism in specially protected natural areas can become a growing point for economy of rural regions through the development of associated service industries and can contribute to the growth of educational activity of the population.