Optimising acceptability using a user-centred design approach of a robotic software in Industry 4.0: A case study

Abstract

While robotics and collaborative robotics are becoming increasingly commonplace in industry, operators do not always have full control over these tools. The aim of our robotics software is to give operators back the power to act. A user-centered design approach (UCD, ISO 9241-210, 2019), through four steps, has therefore been put in place within Industry 4.0. The first study aims to understand and specify the context of use through three objectives: to understand the organizational context in which the robotic software is to be designed and implemented, to characterize the end users via primary personas, and to take an interest in the operators' work in order to predict likely future situations and guide the development of the new work tool. The second study aims to specify user requirements using a card sort based on different criteria (ergonomic, UX). The third study presents the design solutions for version 2 of the robotics software. The fourth study evaluates and compares the practical acceptability (UX, usefulness, usability, mental load) and social acceptability (intent to use) of the first and second versions of the robotic software. Our results show, among other things, a significant improvement in acceptability for the second version of the software, suggesting greater acceptability of this technology thanks to the UCD approach.