Towards Agile Manufacturing: A Research Proposal on Developing Modular and Flexible Plug-and-Produce Software Solutions

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In order to progress the manufacturing industry forward from dedicated mass production systems to mass customization and adaptable production lines, it is essential to acknowledge the shortcomings of the existing systems. A key cause of the problem lies in their monolithic approach, where large, deep-rooted software systems hinder progress and prevent interoperability between robots from different OEMs. These immense and complex systems pose significant obstacles, making them difficult to improve. This PhD aims to address these challenges by developing and implementing a framework, within an interoperable system, inspired by the app approach. Drawing inspiration from the success of apps in the field of personal devices, the goal is to overcome the limitations of current software solutions and the methods of developing them. This will be achieved by exploring avenues for improving user interaction and control of industrial robots whilst also exploring methods to facilitate the effective distribution of the developed solution.