The EU-funded MASTER project launches its first open call for extended reality technology developers. The aim is to create digital learning solutions to be used in an open platform for extended reality-based training in manufacturing.
The ushering in of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the introduction of robots in manufacturing processes have highlighted the importance of effective robot-human interaction. Since extended reality (XR) technologies are key to enabling industrial robots to work well with humans in close proximity, teaching and training of robotics in manufacturing to enhance workers’ understanding and use of hybrid solutions is vital. With this need in mind, the EU-funded MASTER project is developing an open XR platform that will enable programmers to create and manage XR educational content in robotics. The platform’s three key XR technologies include a health and safety demonstrator for safe robotic environments, a demonstrator for flexible robotic application programming and a gaze-based demonstrator for advanced human-robot interactions. By harnessing XR technology to facilitate robotics teaching and learning processes, MASTER is doing its part to advance the integration of intelligent digital technologies into industrial processes.
Calling all XR tech developers
The project has now launched its first open call inviting interested organisations to develop their own XR concepts. “We now want to attract and support as many SMEs and other organizations as possible to join our initiative,” remarks Dr Panagiotis Karagiannis of MASTER project coordinator University of Patras, Greece, in a news item published in the ‘DirectIndustry’ e-magazine. “They can build on our new technologies and leverage the platform to address their technological and industrial requirements, and shape the future of training in manufacturing.” Running from 18 March to 31 May 2024, the open call is addressed to all organisations developing XR technologies and focuses on the creation and testing of proven, ready-to-deploy digital learning solutions using XR technology. Successful applicants will be able to integrate their technologies into the platform and test them with a wide range of end users. The objective is to compile a collection of these technologies that can be used to create educational scenarios that meet the industry’s needs. These libraries will then be integrated into the project’s open XR platform, making it a point of reference for XR-based training in manufacturing. “If we can engage 20 to 30 applicants in our open call, then our efforts will be multiplied, achieving a huge impact on European industry,” observes Dr Karagiannis. To further unlock the potential of XR technologies for industrial training, MASTER (Mixed reality ecosystem for teaching robotics in manufacturing) has launched a new video series titled ‘MASTER Matters’. In the first short episode, Dr Karagiannis explains that current training in manufacturing is based on slides and workshops held in small groups, and he discusses the project’s vision on future training. “We don’t want to remove the traditional forms of training; what we want is to complete them and enhance them with new technologies,” the researcher states in the video. He goes on to explain that the goal is to provide teachers with the tools they need to convey their message to students more easily and more efficiently. Since XR technologies can help teachers engage with students in a virtual environment and are more interactive than current training methods, they are considered the best way to transfer knowledge. Mentioning the need for more user-friendly, intuitive and interactive approaches, Dr Karagiannis notes: “We strongly believe that education is the basis of human development, and as our civilization evolves, so should the tools that we are using.”
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