July 29, 2023
About the name
COALA: Cognitive assisted agile manufacturing for a labor force supported by trustworthy Artificial Intelligence.
COALA provides a solution for cognitive assistance that consists of a composition of trustworthy AI components with a voice-enabled digital intelligent assistant as an interface. The solution will support workers that need to use analytics tools and new workers that perform on-the-job training.
About the project
COALA plans to demonstrate its solution in three complex and highly dynamic manufacturing domains that are confronted with the megatrend of Industry 4.0, but are characterized by different peculiarities and thus are a perfect fit to demonstrate the full potential of the COALA concept.
Textile Production
On-the-job training of new machine operators
White Goods Production
Quality inspection during Zero Hour Testing
Detergent Production
On-job training of new and temporary line managers, change over, issue handling
COALA Didactic Concept – Implementation in the Textile Production Use Case
This video shows a process-oriented didactic concept for the training and further education through using a voice-based assistant, the COALA Digital Intelligent Assistant.
The Objectives
The COALA solution will transform how workers perform their jobs and it allows companies to maintain or increase the quality of their production processes and their products. The solution will support workers that need to use analytics tools and new workers that perform on-the-job training.
- OBJ1: Reduce the number of quality incidents in manufacturing.
- OBJ2: Reduce the time needed for on-the-job training of workers in manufacturing.
- OBJ3: Overcome barriers and reduce skepticism regarding the use of a voice-enabled DIA
in manufacturing environments.
- OBJ4: Improve the competencies of blue-collar workers in managing AI opportunities, challenges, and risks in the shop floor.
The Expected Results
- COALA aims to develop a human-centred Digital Intelligent Assistant that provides a more proactive and pragmatic approach to support operative situations characterized by cognitive load, time pressure, and little or zero tolerance for quality issues.
- COALA will provide a solution for cognitive assistance consisting of a composition of trustworthy AI components with a voice-enabled digital intelligent assistant as an interface. The solution will support workers that need to use analytics tools and new workers that perform on-the-job training.
- An education and training concept focusing on building blue-collar worker competencies in human-AI collaboration will be offered.
- It aims to support the human-side of the collaboration by providing concept for teaching professionals systematically and, in the language of the workers, about the capabilities, risks, and limitations of AI in manufacturing.
- It will transform how workers perform their jobs and allow companies to increase their production process and product quality.
Reduce the number of quality incidents in manufacturing
Reduce the time needed for on-the-job training of workers in manufacturing
Overcome barriers regarding the use of a voice-enabled DIA in manufacturing
Improve competencies of manufacturing workers in managing AI opportunities
COALA Digital Intelligent Assistant with Cognitive Advisor feature for Production Line Operators
The Diversey liquid production use case in the COALA Project focusses on the implementation of COALA Digital Intelligent Assistant (DIA) to support production line operators towards optimum configuration of the production line for each product.
The Consortium
The COALA consortium combines multidisciplinary competences and resources from the industry and research community focusing in AI technologies in the manufacturing industry. It consists of 14 partners representing research institutes, technology providers and industrial partners (including 7 SMEs), from 5 EU member states, i.e. Germany, Greece, France, Italy and Netherlands. The project brings together experienced partners dedicated to contributing, each in their respective area of expertise, to the successful implementation of the project.
- BIBA – Bremer Institut für Produktion und Logistik GmbH (as Coordinator)
- Technische Universiteit Delft
- ICCS – Institute of Communication and Computer Systems
- ANITI – Artificial & Natural Intelligence Toulouse Institute, Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées
- Città Studi S.p.A.
- Fratelli Piacenza S.p.A.
- Whirlpool Management EMEA SRL
- i-Deal S.R.L.
- Gioumpitek Meleti Schediasmos Ylopoiisi Kai Polisi Ergon Pliroforikis Etaireia Periorismenis Efthynis
- Holonix S.R.L.
- Mews Partners
- University of Bremen – Institut Technik und Bildung
- STAM S.R.L.
COALA has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme
under grant agreement no. 957296