FW-HTF-P: Human-Agent Teaming for the Future of Work in Aircraft Manufacturing

Information

  • NSF Award
  • 2129113
Owner
  • Award Id
    2129113
  • Award Effective Date
    1/1/2022 - 2 years ago
  • Award Expiration Date
    12/31/2022 - a year ago
  • Award Amount
    $ 149,965.00
  • Award Instrument
    Standard Grant

FW-HTF-P: Human-Agent Teaming for the Future of Work in Aircraft Manufacturing

The vision of this Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier: Core Research planning project is to bring the benefits of a digital workspace to labor-intensive tasks in the aerospace industry. Human-agent teaming presents substantial challenges that are not present in all-human or all-digital workspaces. The research will build upon results in natural-language processing, human-robot collaboration, artiļ¬cial intelligence (AI), control engineering, data analytics, statistics, and community education to establish the feasibility of an innovative human-agent teaming framework for aircraft manufacturing. The goal is a comprehensive and integrated environment in which human workers and managers, robots and AIs, will cooperatively communicate, set goals, plan tasks, make decisions, and solve problems. The project will address challenges in quality control, risk mitigation, and workforce management via support for worker teaming, data analytics, visualization, verification, and communication. In this setting, process automation, AI, and robotics will free human workers to concentrate on high-value and creative tasks. Benefits to workers and employers include lightened work intensity, improved quality of manufacturing work, and minimization of safety risks. The research results will improve the productivity and competitiveness of the aircraft manufacturing industry. By deemphasizing specific physical requirements, the project could create new job opportunities and increase employment equity, accessibility, and inclusion.<br/> <br/>The project addresses the technical and managerial barriers obstructing the integration of human workers into the future digital workspace, specifically in the context of aerospace manufacturing. The research will cultivate the theory of human-agent teaming in manufacturing by designing a holistic framework of natural-language communication, visual informatics, physical interaction and augmentation, and mutual understanding. The research will also advance knowledge by addressing the challenges in work management and analytics derived from future manufacturing work. Specifically, this project 1) examines the feasibility of a human-agent teaming framework that establishes mental and physical bindings for digital workers and human workers to collaborate efficiently and safely in the context of aerospace manufacturing; 2) bridges the knowledge gap in workforce management, quality control, and business modeling for future manufacturing industry, founded on a hybrid workforce through the implementation of integrated workforce management; and 3) conducts surveys, collects data, and holds workshops to gather information about the critical worker and managerial skills and training required by the new work paradigm.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

  • Program Officer
    Jordan Bergjberg@nsf.gov7032925365
  • Min Amd Letter Date
    8/5/2021 - 3 years ago
  • Max Amd Letter Date
    8/5/2021 - 3 years ago
  • ARRA Amount

Institutions

  • Name
    Wichita State University
  • City
    Wichita
  • State
    KS
  • Country
    United States
  • Address
    1845 Fairmount
  • Postal Code
    672600007
  • Phone Number
    3169783285

Investigators

  • First Name
    Yimesker
  • Last Name
    Yihun
  • Email Address
    yimesker.yihun@wichita.edu
  • Start Date
    8/5/2021 12:00:00 AM
  • First Name
    Hongsheng
  • Last Name
    He
  • Email Address
    hongsheng.he@wichita.edu
  • Start Date
    8/5/2021 12:00:00 AM
  • First Name
    Gamal
  • Last Name
    Weheba
  • Email Address
    gamal.weheba@wichita.edu
  • Start Date
    8/5/2021 12:00:00 AM
  • First Name
    Saideep
  • Last Name
    Nannapaneni
  • Email Address
    saideep.nannapaneni@wichita.edu
  • Start Date
    8/5/2021 12:00:00 AM
  • First Name
    Enkhsaikhan
  • Last Name
    Boldsaikhan
  • Email Address
    enkhsaikhan.boldsaikhan@wichita.edu
  • Start Date
    8/5/2021 12:00:00 AM

Program Element

  • Text
    FW-HTF Futr Wrk Hum-Tech Frntr

Program Reference

  • Text
    FW-HTF Futr Wrk Hum-Tech Frntr
  • Text
    EXP PROG TO STIM COMP RES
  • Code
    9150