A User-Oriented Interface Methodology for Automotive Manufacturing Machines Developed under the Foresight Vehicle Programme

This paper reports on the development and implementation of a user-oriented interface methodology for Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) on transfer lines and engine assembly machines. This approach to HMI implementation has been developed in conjunction with a Fully Distributed machine Control System (FDCS) that its potential to replace conventional centralised PLC/PC based machine control methods is being investigated by researchers at Loughborough University. The paper also provides a brief description on user and task stereotype models defined for a domain of automotive industry and explains the use of software components to develop a prototype HMI for a machine test rig.