Virtual environments and prototyping for the improvement of ergonomics and safety in manufacturing systems

The paper focuses on virtual environments and virtual prototyping methods and techniques, whose application in the design of manufacturing processes can improve the human condition in a factory. Through the use of appropriate industrial case studies, the authors investigate ergonomic and safety issues concerning to manual workcells and Human-Robot hybrid workcells. Furthermore the authors present a Virtual Design Review system in which product designers and production engineers can cooperate in order to share their expertise and evaluate critical situations in an assembly line since the first phase of the product development process.