Digital transformation in manufacturing and process industry
Technological Innovation Consultancy
Computer Vision, Interaction and Graphics
Human-Technology Interaction, and Robotics
Computer graphics, virtual, augmented and mixed reality
Cognitive and collaborative robotics
FRAMEWORK
The OpenLabs project is an open network of industrial laboratories for companies' digital and sustainable transformation in the Galicia-North Portugal Euroregion.
In this way, it is possible to boost new production and service provision forms, and improve SMEs' ability to test use cases when implementing innovative solutions.
Aimed at innovation and productive specialization in the industrial sector, OpenLabs thus opens up space for cooperation, contributing to its consolidation and transformation into a modern, digitalized, and specialized industry.
This major challenge aligns with the industrial policy promoted by the European Commission, which is committed to a greener, more circular, and digital industry while maintaining global competitiveness.
PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
OpenLabs will select the 20 best innovation proposals from companies and entrepreneurs, which will then be directed toward the design, development, improvement, and implementation of innovative products, services, or processes seeking to enter the market.
The selected companies will have the opportunity to take part in a training and innovation program, according to a 3-year Work Plan made up of the following 5 activities:
- Open Laboratory Network: To create an ecosystem that allows companies and startups to test and validate innovative solutions in pre-industrial environments, fostering the exchange of knowledge and good practices.
- Call for Innovation: Launch two calls to select 20 companies from the Euroregion with the best ideas and experiences/use cases (product or process) to test in pre-industrial environments in the network's laboratories.
- Capacity building and innovation program: Providing a support program to enable companies to progress to pre-industrial validation (TRLs 4-6 to TRLs 8-9). It will include training in manufacturing technologies and processes, and an innovation programme to promote new forms of production and service provision.
- Coordination: Managing and coordinating all project activities to ensure that they are carried out by the established plan and that the expected results are achieved.
- Visibility, transparency, and communication: Implement a global visibility, transparency, and communication strategy to disseminate information on the project's objectives and results, ensuring greater dissemination and recognition in the Euroregion's business and entrepreneurial community.
CCG/ZGDV CONTRIBUTION
CCG/ZGDV is responsible for the Extended Reality and Robotics Laboratory, providing consultancy, simulation and validation services for technologies related to these areas.
Through the application of Augmented Reality technologies, combined with robotics, it is possible to create tools to help operationalise shop floor activities: prevention, repair or training.
CAVE - Cave Automatic Virtual Environment
CCG/ZGDV offers an interactive demonstrator/platform (CAVE) made up of two different tools aimed at different segments:
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Maintenance technicians in a shop-floor environment (real operation): a) guiding maintenance operations using augmented reality on the production line, with QRCode tracking and positioning of multimedia content for contextual information; b) increasing the ability to visualize and manipulate the digital twin's robotic arm, creating animations with communication to the robot via ROS (Robot Operating System); c) visualizing the animation created on the real robot to check its execution; d) immersive experience with spatialized audio.
- Training shop-floor employees in specific procedures: a) a set of well-defined tasks to facilitate the training and education of shop-floor employees; b) the use of virtual reality in the training room, with gamification elements; c) the possibility of viewing and manipulating the digital twin's robotic arm; d) viewing the animation created; e) an immersive experience with spatialized audio to provide feedback during training and safety alerts.
Expected results:
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Increased operational efficiency, through practical training in real time and reduction of errors;
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Improved safety in the workplace by practicing procedures in controlled environments;
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Increased product quality due to operator training;
- Greater employee satisfaction and involvement through gamification and immersive experience;
- Facilitating the transition from training to real operation, through practice in virtual environments;
- Stimulating innovation and the adoption of technology by integrating new concepts into production processes;