Christos Emmanouilidis receives grant for large-scale EU project on human-centric Digital Twin approaches for work environments

Associate professor Christos Emmanouilidis has received funding from the EU for a new Horizon Europe project titled AI4Work: ‘Human-centric Digital Twin Approaches to Trustworthy AI and Robotics for Improved Working Conditions’.

The project aims to identify the most effective models of collaboration between humans and AI and examine how AI-enabled systems can integrate the best of both human and non-human actors in sustainable solutions that are human-centred. This large-scale collaborative research project AI4Work, is funded through the European initiative on Trustworthy AI, Data, and Robotics Addressing Key Societal Challenges. It is an addition to the portfolio of projects on human-centric AI in which Emmanouilidis is already involved: STAR: Safe and trusted human-centric AI in Future Manufacturing Lines (star-ai.eu), and HumAIne: Hybrid Human-AI Decision Support for Enhanced Human Empowerement in Dynamic Situations (humaine-horizon.eu). The new project aims to provide practical solutions in work environments. Specifically, the project will demonstrate human-AI synergies in the management of yard logistics, automation in packaging systems, robotics in construction, healthcare operations management, and operations activities in agriculture.

A key concept in the project is that of Sliding Work Sharing, where the balance and agency of decision-making changes at real operational settings, depending on the situational context. To deliver this, the project will develop a set of common methods and tools, implementing Human-Centred Digital Twins. The AI4Work project targets to jointly enhance operational performance, sustainability, as well as the wellbeing and added value of humans in everyday work environments. The new project starts in January 2024.

The project consortium

The Institute of Applied Systems Technology Bremen (ATB) leads the project. The highly interdisciplinary consortium consists of 18 partners from 8 European countries. It includes an industry leader in robotics (KUKA), a globally recognised vineyard (Quinta do Crasto), a leading innovator in yard automation solutions (OAS AG), a world leading manufacturer of automatic machines for the processing and packaging of products (IMA Group), several research partners, including the University of Groningen, as well as the standardisation organisation Open Group, and the Circular Economy Foundation. The overall funding is 7.7 million euros and the funding for the University of Groningen is € 794,250. In this project, Christos Emmanouilidis (associate professor at the Department of Operations of FEB) and other colleagues from the UG will mainly focus on shaping the AI4Work concept and vision of human-AI collaboration, lead the methodological framework for the assessment of human-centred AI, drive the research on human-centred digital twins, and will deeply engage in all project pilots.

Impact of the AI4Work project

AI4Work will boost the use of mixed human-AI/robotics technologies among the European community and increase their acceptance within the working scenarios, contributing towards the European strategic orientation towards Human-Centred and Ethical Development of Digital and Industrial Technologies.

For more information, please contact Christos Emmanouilidis.