Analysing spatio-temporal worker movement patterns : implications for safety and productivity in smart factories

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Vasantha, Gokula and Patel, Hariketan and Hanson, Jack and Corney, Jonathon and El-Raoui, Hanane and Sales, Rachel and Quigley, John and Kasarapu, Satya Saravan and Sherlock, Andrew (2025) Analysing spatio-temporal worker movement patterns : implications for safety and productivity in smart factories. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 59 (10). pp. 1814-1819. ISSN 2405-8963 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2025.09.305)

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Abstract

Understanding the spatio-temporal dynamics of worker movements within complex factory environments, such as shipbuilding facilities, is crucial for proactively assessing safety and enhancing operations through potential process adjustments and factory layout optimizations. While existing literature offers methods to study worker movements, the detailed elicitation of movement patterns remains limited. This research proposes an analytical framework for studying spatio-temporal worker movements using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) tracking data. The framework classifies worker movements into two categories: dwell and transit, serving as the foundation for uncovering movement patterns. The study reports the movement patterns derived from data collected on six workers performing an assembly task and offers actionable recommendations to improve workplace safety and productivity.

ORCID iDs

Vasantha, Gokula, Patel, Hariketan, Hanson, Jack, Corney, Jonathon, El-Raoui, Hanane ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9079-3248, Sales, Rachel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6204-1878, Quigley, John ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7253-8470, Kasarapu, Satya Saravan and Sherlock, Andrew;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)