Foresight formulation in innovative production, automation and control systems

S. Mekid, T. Schlegel, N. Aspragathos and R. Teti

S. Mekid is a Lecturer at The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; T. Schlegel is an Engineer at Fraunhofer Institute, IAO, Stuttgart, Germany; N. Aspragathos is an Associate Professor at the University of Patras, Patras, Greece; R.Teti is Professor at the University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.

Abstract Purpose This paper aims to dene imminent and future key aspects in innovative production machines and systems but more specically to focus on the automation and control aspects. Design/methodology/approach The foresight analysis is based on the state-of-the-art of current manufacturing technologies with a setup of key enabling features and a roadmap research. Findings The paper nds that more integration of current and future technology development is required to build a strong platform for various applications featured with interoperability, trust, security and protection. Autonomy and close collaboration aspects in machines remain as crucial targets for the near future. An immediate action is required on smart strategies for the design patterns and agents to enable intuitive components for high quality dynamic user interfaces. This will allow rapid conguration and adaptation to new manufacturing tasks with highly improved machine learning. Originality/value The paper describes the future of key aspects required to move the production, automation and control systems forward. Keywords Intelligent sensors, Manufacturing systems Paper type Research paper

Introduction
A comparative review of the status of Production Automation and Control is carried out to build a vision on the long-term perspective and to identify key technological drivers with corresponding barriers and research priorities. The current foresight analysis is based on the work initiated (Mekid et al., 2006) by Innovative Production Machines and Systems (I*PROMS), the European Network of Excellence, in two main deliverables: key enabling features (IPROMS1, 2006) which are technology characteristics having decisive inuence on the (desired or feared) future development of the technology and the research roadmap (Colombo et al., 2006). The formulation of the current foresight has used the state-of-the-art deliverable from I*PROMS (Teti et al., 2006) as a starting point where the key enabling features were dened followed by the production of research roadmaps.
The authors wish to thank the partners involved in Production Automation and Control (PAC) cluster: University of Hannover; Fatronic; INRIA; CETIM; Robosoft; PROFACTOR; Schneider Electric; Fraunhofer IPA; and Cardiff University for their contribution. Thanks are also extended to I*PROMS, the EU Network of Excellence.

The ability to predict the scenarios in which the European Manufacturing Sector will have to cope within the near future will be undoubtedly a very valuable asset when thinking about the strategic planning for the transformation of the Sector. This paper implements a vision of some critical topics classied in ve technologies and described as follows: 1. Agents in production are distributed physical agents (Intelligent Mechatronic production unit) while most of the current technology is dealing with software agents. A new standard for interoperation and communication is needed with ability to be compatible with all control systems.

DOI 10.1108/14636680710821089

VOL. 9 NO. 5 2007, pp. 35-47, Q Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1463-6689

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2. Intelligent Sensors Technology (IST) covers new types of intelligent sensors with embedded data processing that can monitor complex applications on a self decision making basis by utilizing experience and know how accumulated during past operation through learning. 3. Self Diagnosis, Tuning and Repair (STR) involve fully autonomous, adaptable, and inter-collaborative machines leading to mostly unmanned manufacturing systems. 4. Human Machine Interaction (HMI) aims at effective interaction between operators and machines in automation processes and makes it essential to provide broadly applicable and potentially safe communication channels. Complex structures and algorithms for interpreting operation chains as well as highly innovative technologies for the perception and measurement of the industrial environment which need to be developed are discussed. 5. Recongurable Manufacturing Control (RMC) is the brain and the neurons of rapid reconguration manufacturing systems required to respond quickly to new tasks. New procedures and engineering tools are required which will be based on a radically new engineering theory and fundamental knowledge for smart components, machines and manufacturing systems design. The technology areas will be discussed next giving foresight of key driver features along with known corresponding barriers and research priorities envisaged.

Agent control technology

Agent-Systems in production are inhomogeneous multi-agent-systems while the so far realized applications are either homogenous or single agent systems:
B

Each agent in production requires a dynamic and controllable decision core to enable agile line adaptation and (re)-conguration, and support decision rule development. Each agent in production is a self-reconguring, intelligent distributed automation element that has to operate in a stochastic environment where hard real-time constraints must be met to achieve reliable system operation, while the software multi-agent-systems developed so far do not consider time as a problem at all.

Agent control technology is inherently simple but robust and capable of handling high degrees of complexity. Its adoption will make possible the sustainable control of the complex distributed systems forming an Autonomous Factory. It aims at insuring safe and high security communication systems. A new standard for interoperation and communication is needed with ability to be compatible with most control systems. Key drivers in agent control technology It is aimed in Agent Control Technology to integrate mechanisms to deal with security, condence and reputation in order to allow safe automated negotiations between systems within a factory in the Multi Agent Systems (MAS) framework. It is also aimed to demonstrate that the agents work in terms of the users preferred guidelines. The agents should represent those users for which the system works on behalf effectively. The capability to incorporate external or legacy application programs is a very important feature of MAS because in many cases developing entire applications afresh would be considered too expensive or too large a change away from proven technology. Accordingly, development of methods is required to improve the interoperability of Agent Control Technology Systems through integration with legacy systems. In the eld of production systems engineering, the agent control technology systems in addition to the multi agent systems provide a better structure to the software design process. The interoperability between the agent control technology systems with the multi agent systems and the legacy systems which are provided by various components such as methods, standards and the interfaces improve the overall efciency of a system. Regarding, the ACT Engineering platform, each MAS with the ACT uses specic languages and protocols depending on the application domain. Different approaches derive a

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collective language merging from the features of the specic languages. The capabilities and the abilities of MAS can be fundamentally extended to new expectations and new requirements with the ACT systems. Barriers Because of its new technology, the ACT systems possess a lot of barriers. The End-users are reluctant to move to new technologies, hence, the market for the ACT is too conservative. Moreover, there is not enough availability of training and information about existing solutions. The collaborative research between academia and industry is weakly coupled and hence, the implementation of this technology is more difcult than expected. The technology bifurcations provide a greater fear reaction to the market. The Robustness of the ACT systems forms a greater barrier to the integration with the legacy systems as the latter do not t with current ACT developments. Moreover, the legacy system developers exhibit also a greater fear from the integration process. Very few experiences with real production environments provide a greater barrier in implementing the ACT systems in the eld of production systems engineering. Moreover, there are not enough availability of training and information for this approach. The manufacturing industries always act traditionally and, therefore, have some reluctance in taking risks by implementing these kinds of systems. The lack of cooperation between the ACT vendors and the trend of ACT-vendors to monopolize the market along with the little inducement of standardization and the traditional behavior of the market affect the ACT based components interoperability. Since this type of platform is not very understood, it seems very hard currently to implement this technology in engineering platforms. Priority researches The transparency in decision making, new control and benchmarking methods for decentralized systems, implementation of ACT-based production systems and integration in applications and the digital factory along with cost control can be given higher priority in the research eld to provide better trust and security. The integration of ACT based production systems with existing ERP and MES Systems with hybrid system architectures can effectively increase the usage of the ACT based systems. Correlation with new production control, management and organization paradigms like Holonic Enterprise, Collaborative Manufacturing Model along with the appropriate grade of decentralization will increase the usability of these systems. The development of plug and play applications along with the integration of intelligent domain specic problem solving functions can provide better usage as well. Consideration of Production and management paradigms along with new tasks and functionalities for Multi-Agent Systems obviously increases the usage of ACT systems in the eld of productions systems engineering. More research priorities are given to new services and business agent based application models that require interdisciplinary engineering methodologies along with intelligent Human Machine Interaction (e.g. agent-based human assistant). Development of engineering framework to host agent-based controls in different industrial application can be given more importance in research eld. Design of semantic infrastructure and handling of semantic ontologies with the development of an engineering framework for agent-based controls in different industrial applications can also increase the usage of the ACT systems. Developing wrapper agents which function as an interface between agents and the other software along with the development and standardization of wrapping mechanisms in conjunction with the creation of collective languages for ACT systems can also provide more enhanced usability of these systems. Development of intelligent computation paradigms (e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, neuro-fuzzy systems, genetic algorithms, etc.) to be integrated into system agents as external intelligent domain specic problem solving functions in order to improve their robustness through coordination with other agent-based applications (Teti and Kumara, 1997) and foster agent intelligent behavior in ACT. Implementation of purpose built intelligent application programs that make use of the agent architecture to enhance their problems

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solving capabilities along with the exploration of new application domains with the new standardization activities with cross-regional standardization bodies (FIPA, IEEE) can be given more priority in the research eld in consideration with the engineering platform as well. Introduction of open system architecture with the mature software/hardware development of new interdisciplinary engineering methodologies will provide better performance in these systems. New tasks and functionalities for multi agent systems along with the new services for business models for agent based applications will provide more superior functionalities for ACT systems. Distributed learning, hybrid technologies, self organization, run time reconguration and redesign and also understanding requirements in Human Robot Interface will increase the superior functionalities of the ACT systems. Agent ability to understand user requirements along with the intelligent HMI supported with agent based human assistants and ambient computing can be given more priority in research eld as well.

Intelligent sensors technology

With the fast progress of industrial technologies, the manufacturing systems become more knowledge based, congurable and exible in order to be able to host and/or deal continuously with new situations. In this framework, new challenges are posed to the reliability and applicability of sensor systems for process monitoring and control so that high availability of sophisticated manufacturing systems together with high quality of products can be achieved: it is widely accepted that intelligent sensor technology (IST) based manufacturing is vital to achieve this (Moriwaki, 2001). Some of the key enabling technology areas for the IST can be identied as follows within three core areas that are the type of the sensor, signal processing, and information monitoring. Sensors are permanently required to be at low cost and small size but integrated within systems. They should demonstrate robustness, dispensability, and ability to self-calibrate. New sensors, their corresponding systems and intelligent monitoring are considered next. New types of sensors and sensor systems Advanced sensor design, coupled with signal processing technology, permits improved information about process conditions enabling manufacturing process optimization and control (Byrne et al., 2003). In this area of technology, major types of innovative sensors and sensor systems are recognized as prominent; new standalone sensors; modular sensors; intelligent sensor component interfaces; wearable sensor devices; cluster sensors with new hybrid agents for multitasks monitoring and measuring; congurable sensing systems and wireless; and mobile non-destructive sensing systems. Standalone sensors are about wireless and self-powering sensors that could be used in any location that has difcult reachability. The sensors could be designed to measure various physical phenomena but not required to be all-in-one sensors. Modular sensors are a type of multi sensors capable of working together, sharing large amounts of low-level design, in the form of sensing, processing, wireless transceiving hardware, and software written to interface with, or, control their functionality to watch a complex evolving phenomenon in a manufacturing process for example. Intelligent sensor component interfaces are the interfaces that recognize the type of the sensor plugged-in and establish communication with default data processing, calibration and compensation. Then, Wearable sensor devices are wearable to any unit under test in manufacture to make continuous measurements which are designed to facilitate group interaction in large meetings and acquire a wide range of data for analyzing activities. The wireless wearable sensors are used to measure and also to protect the unit under test in harsh environment while other types of sensors are not designed to protect. Next, the cluster sensors with new hybrid agents for multitasks monitoring and measuring are required to establish new evolving communication and network strategies within a set of sensors to capture data of a complex phenomenon using hybrid agent which is capable of combining or merging information among sensor networks

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that measure different tasks. Then, Multitask sensor system could have a functionality that can be changed during execution. The sensor will have a hybrid structure complying with exibility software. This would be called congurable sensing system. Lastly, Wireless and mobile non-destructive sensing systems are required to capture data in harsh environment with high temperature, pressure and aggressive chemical uids. New sensing materials have to be developed. Special packaging is expected to withstand the harsh environment as well as the communication method that may be affected by high pressure and temperature. Intelligent sensor signal and data processing The inuence of advanced signal processing techniques and articial intelligence are largely felt in the development and application of innovative sensors and sensing system. Among the most promising intelligent computation techniques in this sector: expert systems; articial neural networks; fuzzy logic; neuro-fuzzy systems; genetic algorithms; and hybrid systems. These are able to synergically combine the capabilities of the various intelligent computing paradigms. These so-called intelligent sensors include, as part of their packaging, abilities for self-calibration and self-diagnostics, signal conditioning, and, importantly, decision making. Advanced techniques for sensor signal processing (e.g. feature extraction for pattern recognition), synergic integration of information simultaneously obtained from multiple sensors of different nature (e.g. sensor fusion) and automatic decision making procedures (e.g. cognitive methods) can be implemented and applied to diverse industrial manufacturing processes (Byrne et al., 1995). In intelligent sensor signal and data processing technology, innovative sensor signal processing, sensor fusion, communication of sensor information, decision making support systems and robust self calibration procedures are recognized as prominent. Innovative sensor signal processing is expected to build an automatic processing system with minimum setups and a standardized embedded signal processing. The new signal processing will be able to perform for different tasks using a new exible strategy to choose a suitable processing method which can be applied as a central processing unit for sensor networks. The signal processing will be done in real-time measurement. A new focus of much of the research on sensors is sensor fusion which provides for the integration of information from several sensors to better and more robustly characterize a process, tool or machine. This technology addresses the requirements for handling ambiguous or noisy sensor signals. It also lays the ground work for sensor data input to learning schemes, such as those based on intelligent computation methods, to capture process knowledge when the process is sufciently complex to defy clear mathematical modeling. The capabilities of manufacturing process control through sensor fusion techniques comprise the continuous feedback of information on operative conditions to the process controller, the in-process evaluation of tool wear, the rapid identication of tool fracture, the identication and classication of chip form, and the verication of the nature, conditions, and properties of the work material (Teti, 2001). Communication of sensor information is the exchange of data among sensors or sensor networks using standardized communication routes. More intuitive interfaces are required (Mekid, 2006). Next is the decision making support systems in which expert systems are embedded within a complex sensor system. The expert system will deal with sensor networks using a hybrid agent and decide on a solution based on a new exible and reliable strategy. Robust self calibration procedures offer an intelligent sensor the ability to perform a self calibration after monitoring its conditions. The self calibration procedures will be embedded into the processing unit and be able to adapt itself using an expert decision making system to use with a set of different sensors. Intelligent monitoring applications Information monitoring plays an important role in intelligent sensor technology. Information monitoring can be categorized into real-time process monitoring, tool condition monitoring, work material state monitoring, machine tool monitoring and other monitoring application. For Real-time process monitoring, a process is measured using sensors and monitored in

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real-time. Hence, the compensations for related parameters can be immediately taken into account. As an example, tool condition monitoring is a sensor system for monitoring tool failure (wear, breakage) during manufacturing processes. A target of manufacturing systems is to integrate the machine tools having the intelligence to look after themselves and their peripheral devices. Machine tool sensor monitoring can achieve the above and make the metal cutting process fully automated. In work material condition monitoring area, a set of new sensors system for monitoring removal progress during manufacturing process is required. One critical aspect is represented by chip form monitoring and control, i.e. the occurrence of acceptable chip forms that can be evacuated easily and reliably from the working zone since problems with surface nish, workpiece accuracy, end tool life can be caused by even minor change in the chip formation process (Jawahir and van Luttervelt, 1993). Barriers The envisaged barriers for the development of the technologies associated to the previous goals are set by the lack, scarcity or inadequacy of intelligent sensor monitoring methodologies and the lack of standardization (mainly for intelligent sensors and data processing). The limitation of cross collaboration between academia and industry also hinder the development of the intelligent sensor technology due to the lack of information exchange. Moreover, sensing technology qualied staff in industry and skilled operators are required. The current technology still has insufcient reliability of decision making procedures and low acceptability in industrial environments. The cost of such developments remains high. Priority researches The priority could be oriented to address specic technological issues such as cost reduction (e.g. development of new sensing materials) and built platforms for academia industry in cross and close collaboration. The development of standalone sensors, used primarily as diagnostic devices in a manufacturing process should move to sensors being part of an intelligent system in processes, cutting tools or machine monitoring. Advanced sensor signal and data processing techniques are supported by articial intelligence tools and methods for the development and application of sensors and sensing systems for manufacturing process monitoring. A new research focus towards intelligent sensor signal and data processing will encompass sensor fusion, integration of information from several sensors to better and more robust characterization of information required by any process. This addresses the critical requirement for handling ambiguous or noisy inputs. The following abilities remain key requirement, e.g. self-calibration and self-diagnostics with decision making.

Self diagnosis, tuning and repair

STR is one of the technologies that has and will have most inuence in the European Manufacturing Sector for the next decade. The economically and environmentally sustainable development of the manufacturing sector will indeed lie among other technologies in smart, autonomous and inter-collaborative production systems, which are the core topics of STR Technology, and on which this Foresight Report has identied the key drivers and barriers associated to them. The most important goals that have to be achieved for machines are reliability, high accuracy, autonomy, and sustainability. Each of these goals will not probably be a breakthrough characteristic on its own for the manufacturing sector, but their combination can make the differential factor contributing towards the critical topics identied in this foresight. Next, are discussed the technology drivers. Smart machines The smart machine embraces all concepts that will facilitate the use of the machines and their maintenance (e.g. detection of human mistakes, clever error tracking, learning from

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previous processes and errors.) Enabling Technologies for this technology driver are articial intelligence, cognitive systems and knowledge management systems for which the possible scenarios are machines that provide proactive assistance to operators, machines learning from experience and machines drawing conclusions that will allow them to improve future processes. Adaptive machines This Technology covers all concepts that allow the machines to adapt automatically to the variable conditions of the machine environment (distributed piezo-layers and piezo-actuators, Process control etc.). Self-tuning, adaptronics and intelligent process monitoring and control are the enabling technologies for adaptive machines. The possible scenarios are in machines capable of optimizing machining parameters and control parameters and in machines that are capable of adapting automatically to changing conditions in the environment (process characteristics, external disturbances etc.). Autonomous machines It embraces all techniques aimed at reducing the human intervention in manufacturing processes (Automatic diagnosis and self-repairing of machine, failure prediction etc.) There are four main enabling technologies in this technology driver; intelligent monitoring and diagnosis control, model-based/rule-based/case-based diagnosis, failure prediction and maintenance and end-of-life management (LCU Units). The possible scenarios are in machines that are able to detect failures, that can take care of failures repair, that have different data sources for diagnosis tasks and that have a source of historical information about operating and working conditions of their components. Inter-collaborative machines This Technology covers all techniques that will allow the machines to interact between them and also with humans, sharing time and space (Ambient intelligence, communities of robots etc.). Once the technology drivers that will allow the sector to move towards reliable, accurate, and sustainable identied machines, a thorough analysis of enabling technologies and potential scenarios will be conducted. These enabling technologies involve collaborative working environments among robots and collaborative working environments between robots and humans. Robots and humans or just robots sharing work, time and space when collaborating between them and splitting work to be done between robots and human communities are possible scenarios of this technology driver. Barriers In articial intelligence, the barriers are the low penetration of open controls in the manufacturing sector and the reluctance of some control manufacturers to allow access to their hardware and software. For cognitive systems enabling technology, the barriers are set by the lack of a sound rationale behind taken decisions and modications of process and machine parameters, and the reluctance of machine users to reduce human intervention in production processes. The barrier in knowledge management systems is the huge amount of casuistic that makes it difcult to avoid the so-called cold starting problem, that is, the lack of previous cases from where to model and learn for future processes. The barriers of Self Tuning are that many machine builders prefer conservative tuning strategies to minimize after-sales assistance due to variations in mechanical properties during service-life. Moreover, many control builders do not offer openness of controllers for data availability and the variations associated to the parts to be machined makes it complex to conduct identication of dynamic properties. The complex technology demanding highly qualied professionals for service life and maintenance, low benets to cost ratio (expensive components and peripherals), and immature technology are the main difculties in Adaptronics. For Intelligent Process Monitoring and control, the main barriers come from the control builders that do not offer openness of controllers for data availability; also this technology has not matured yet.

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The lack of condence in industry about reliability of non-human based diagnoses and dissimilarity between the machines at the PLC level are the major obstacles in Intelligent Monitoring & Diagnosis Control. Model-Based, Rule-based, and Case-based diagnosis have barriers in the huge amount of casuistic interdependencies that makes it difcult to avoid the so-called cold starting problem. The lack of previous known cases do not facilitate the modeling neither the learning for future processes. In Failure Prediction, not only solutions due to the need in implementing sensors in machines and data gathering are expensive but also the lack of availability of historical data that obstruct the development in this enabling technology. For maintenance and end-of-life management (LCU Units), both legal directives for security and low demand of this technology among machine builders constitute important barriers. In both collaborative working environments among robots and collaborative working environments between robots and humans, the immature technologies and expensive solutions limit the advance in these areas. Priority researches Research on techniques to equip mechatronic components with autonomous capabilities for calibration, prediction, learning and self-optimization in any process, to enhance the machine ability to learn from experience and to enhance the machine ability to take decisions without human intervention will lead the development in articial intelligence, cognitive systems, and knowledge management systems respectively. There is a strong requirement to achieve advances in self tuning, research of algorithms to automate CNC tuning, allow control, assist machine users, and adapt machine to a particular work with improvement of machine calibration. To overcome the barriers in Adaptronics, it is suggested that a research on seamless integration of piezo-layers on lightweight mechatronic systems to improve the active robustness is required. In intelligent process monitoring and control, technologies in automatic process data collection and data mining require extensive research. The intelligent monitoring and diagnosis control enabling technology needs researches on both algorithms and technologies to create pattern recognition and decision making and to allow remote monitoring and diagnosis. It is envisaged that the researches on algorithms for stability prediction of planned operations and for pattern recognition and decision making must be improved in order to move forward in model-based/rule-based/case-based diagnosis. Research on technologies to assist technical personnel for the planning of maintenance operations in failure prediction and research on algorithms to allow machines executing their own maintenance operations in maintenance and end-of-life management (LCU Units) will be conducted. In Collaborative working environments among robots and collaborative working environments between robots and humans, researches will consider new technologies to split production processes into simpler micro-tasks to be distributed within the robot community.

Human machine interaction

The target of an effective interaction between operators and machines in automation processes makes it essential to provide broadly applicable and potentially safe communication channels. The machine should understand the human modes of communication and interaction and should permit the operator to stay as close as possible to the work area. Mass-market input devices are highly desirable for user interaction to allow low-cost and easy-to-use commanding that meets existing safety standards. The programming effort for manufacturing plants is tremendous and drastically increases the life cycle costs for a typical process; therefore the aim is to implement methodologies that make it an easy-to-perform task as the input device itself takes into account further environmental entities than a pure command. Complex structures and algorithms for interpreting operation chains as well as highly innovative technologies for the

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perception and measurement of the industrial environment need to be developed and integrated to enable further competitiveness of European manufacturing industries. Advanced physical interaction technologies In the eld of advanced physical interaction mechanisms for machine control, it is necessary to develop systems and methods for an intuitive process commanding without explicit programming for machine processes itself, as well as for machine interaction. These systems and methodologies will focus on realizing new technologies in future manufacturing processes where one operator will not only be responsible for one machine but for a process covering a whole production chain. Telecontrol will therefore, provide the exchange of data with different devices using several communication channels. These systems and methodologies will also focus on speech recognition as an input device for new robust systems which are to be built covering the large application eld in industry where robustness against background noise is required. Gesture recognition, which offers the possibility to pass simple commands like start and stop as well as passing directions to the machine that can be translated, inuencing the ongoing project without a long training process of the operator will be focused in these systems. These systems and methodologies will also focus on object recognition methods; scene analysis; or; scene integration which may generate a sequence of functions resulting on the identied objects and the interpretation allows the machine to react not only on a single given command but also to apply it to the whole process. Multimodal interfaces will be given more importance to coordinate different user inputs, translating them over different output channels for the process. In the eld of intelligent interaction technologies, self adaptive and learning input devices are capable of interpreting the given command by connecting the reaction to their execution context. These input devices can be adapted according to the specic operation and to the specic user prole for several applications. The context sensitivity of interaction devices to implement contextual information can be gained from the environment and the whole process chain to be included in each operation. The virtual operation interaction devices work on their own skill with the user integration in the manufacturing process. The behavior of sensitive interaction devices will be able to predict the outcome of the process chain at each phase of the interaction between the human and the operation, controlling the process as a whole, taking into account further knowledge than the operator might achieve at the point of operation, without being highly skilled and experienced. Barriers The barriers and limitations in this eld not only occur in the technological form but also as social factors. The technological complexity, costs of production of these kinds of devices, scientic aspects and restrictions, technological and the safety aspects from the main barrier in this eld. The factors such as low acceptance by the companies because of the lack of safety and condentiality on data transfer and the lack of general acceptance of new interaction technology add to the limitations in this eld. The scientic methodologies methods followed by the technological development of new concepts and devices and the acceptance of industry skilled workers with the skills of operators add to the limitations in this aspect. Priority researches The priority researches in this eld are being allocated to telecontrol, speech recognition, gesture recognition, scene analysis, multimodal interfaces, intelligent interaction technologies, context and behavior sensitivity, virtual operation, and the advanced physical interaction mechanisms for machine control.

Recongurable manufacturing control

The recongurable manufacturing systems are considered as the successor of the exible manufacturing systems (FMS) and are included among the grand challenges of the manufacturing technology of the future (Setchi and Lagos, 2004). RMS can switch part or

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product of the same family in very short downtimes and at minimal cost for reconguration. Rapidly adapted RMS to the required capacity and functionality is envisioned (Koren and Ulsoy, 2002). In order to meet the demand for such manufacturing systems, a service oriented adaptive control platform should be developed along with an integrated environment of engineering tools and methods for rapid reconguration. Service oriented open architecture adaptive control for RMS The capabilities provided by a manufacturing device should be considered as services and not as objects, being entirely described by its interface which implementation should be totally opaque (Colombo and Harrison, 2005). This platform will provide advanced adaptability, reduce the overall development cost, and allow dynamic reconguration. Open architecture control will allow the end-user to easily customize the control of a recongurable manufacturing system using components produced by different vendors. This will eventually augment control systems operability and performance, and lead to the development of optimal recongurable manufacturing control and systems with signicantly reduced costs. Distributed intelligence in self-contained modules Distributed control intelligence is an inevitable requirement for the implementation of recongurable control, since the mechatronic components of recongurable manufacturing systems will not be dump peripherals but considering their intelligent control to be self contained modules (Hummer et al., 2006). These control modules must be standardized interchangeable and reusable components, more or less like hardware components that make up the systems physical topology. In addition, these modules should be fault tolerant with self-monitoring, self-diagnosis, and probably self repair capabilities, reducing breakdown and maintenance time and costs (incomplete sentence). Plug-and-Play architecture will enable components to determine their individual role in the systems lattice, to ease connection, recognize and cooperate with their neighboring modules. This structure allows new control architectures with no central units, while all control activities are distributed in intelligent units, supporting scalability in all levels of abstraction. The development of learning and intelligent methods based on the research advancements in AI theory and practice will enable the intelligent components and particularly recongurable robots to work in unstructured environments with uncertainty. Collaborative environment and wireless high speed industrial networks Existing industrial networks are based on cable connection between different devices or manufacturing lines and workcells. However, the cost of cabling and its complexity are very high for a recongurable system. In addition to that, cabling presents a barrier for the enhancement of scalability and a considerable increase of the downtime for reconguration. It is expected that wireless networks will overcome these problems and provide safe and low cost communications for rapid reconguration. This will ultimately increase the interoperability of manufacturing control systems and improve their communication infrastructure. Low-cost yet high-speed connections for all types of industrial devices, including sensors and actuators, will be achieved. This also favors integration of manufacturing systems in a higher level of abstraction, using similar networking infrastructure. The development and implementation of a collaborative environment will lead to the increased condence of manufacturing industries to innovative control systems (Colombo and Harrison, 2005). Such an environment can be used globally by a wide range of engineering partners with different roles, responsibilities and requirements, ultimately leading to the development of a recongurable design environment. Engineering science base for RMC Radically new engineering theory and fundamental knowledge for smart components, machines and manufacturing systems design is required (Mehrabi et al., 2002). The ultimate

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target will be the development of an integrated platform for the design, planning and control of recongurable manufacturing systems (Aspragathos, 2005). This platform should easily integrate new technologies in the designed recongurable control and manufacturing systems. A systematic investigation of recongurable manufacturing systems in different levels of abstraction should be carried out, in order to determine the enhanced role and design requirements for their hardware and software components. In this integrated science and practice environment as it is shown in Figure 1, a knowledge-based system for mapping the task requirements to the manufacturing systems hardware and software component topology should be developed in order to rapidly determine the necessary conguration of the system. This system should process simultaneously qualitative and quantitative knowledge for the design, planning and control of recongurable manufacturing systems. In this environment the optimization of cost, performance, reliability, robustness, scalability, reusability of components and complexity should be considered. New optimization methodology for the intelligent design and planning of recongurable manufacturing systems control should be developed, along with suitable tools based on computational intelligence and cognitive science. It is important at this point to stress out the fact that optimization will have to be conducted for all levels of abstraction of the recongurable manufacturing system and its control. The development of intelligent simulators with built-in AI will be quite signicant in this integrated environment. Such a system can provide a great help to the designer in the determination of the systems topology, but also will perform the on-line simulations and determination of future system required recongurations, prior to its installation. Radical new visualization techniques will allow the end-user to view the derived system and conduct functional simulations virtually.

Figure 1 An integrated environment for the design, planning and control of recongurable systems

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Barriers The following barriers and limitations are identied regarding the aforementioned Enabling Technology Goals for RMC: Quite higher complexity of recongurable manufacturing control systems compared to the current ones. The competition between vendors does allow the development and adoption of open architecture control and common standards for their products. Limited performance and relatively high cost of embedded processors and wireless networks has to be overcome. Lack of engineering theory and practice for the design, planning and control of recongurable manufacturing systems limits the advancements in reconguration. Lacking of reliable and safe AI methods for learning and intelligent control is a serious obstacle towards RMC autonomy. Priority researches The priority researches in this eld are identied in distributed and service oriented software and control for manufacturing beyond current PLCs towards open architecture control and components with plug-and-produce capabilities. Also, standard interfaces that connect easily modules built by different producers will be developed. In order to increase the autonomy of manufacturing control systems, there will be researches on learning and intelligent control methods and on high-speed low cost embedded processors for use in mechatronic modules. Moreover, the priority researches in this eld cover the development of a collaborative environment for recongurable manufacturing control. Wireless high-speed, reliable and safe industrial networks should be achieved. Interdisciplinary research is needed for the development of integrated theory and practice for the design and planning of RMC and of recongurable manufacturing systems. intelligent simulators, with radically new tools and graphical interfaces should be developed where the new engineering tools and methods would be integrated for the advanced help to the RMS and RMC designers.

Overall conclusion and recommendations

Based on the previous deliverables within I*PROMS such as the key enabling features and the research roadmap as well as the wide experience of the experts collaborating within the network, a number of key foresight aspects have been identied. This has encompassed cross interests between all the key technologies identied earlier. The potential impact of the production automation and control technology areas reected in this document gives a clear vision of the future with forecast social and economic trends. More integration of current and future technology development is required with legacy systems to form a strong platform with interoperability, trust, security and protection. This will require more generic sensing activity with intelligent clustering aspects for various physical phenomena. Autonomous and close collaborations aspects in machines remain as crucial targets for the near future with advanced properties such as recongurability in hardware and software and adaptability depending on the situation. An immediate action on smart strategies for the design patterns and agents to enable intuitive components for high quality dynamic user interfaces is required. This will allow rapid reconguration and adaptation to sudden situations with highly improved user learning. Zero downtime at low cost and self healing for critical systems remain golden and systematic targets for the next generation manufacturing systems.

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Corresponding author
Samir Mekid can be contacted at: s.mekid@manchester.ac.uk

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