This research presents Q-CONPASS, an autonomous robotic system that enhances industrial production and worker safety by using AI-powered mobile robots for real-time navigation, object detection, and ergonomic risk assessment in dynamic factory environments.
In today’s fast-moving industrial world, the pressure to produce smarter, faster, and safer is stronger than ever 💥. But how do you balance speed with safety, especially when people and robots have to work side by side? That’s where the revolutionary Q-CONPASS system enters the picture — a game-changing innovation that could redefine how we think about production control and workplace safety 🏭🛡️.
Researchers from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, and the industrial companies KLEEMANN and Atlantis Engineering joined forces to develop this autonomous robotic system. And trust us — it’s not just another warehouse bot 🤖. It’s a mobile, intelligent co-worker that helps factories run smoother and keeps workers healthy and safe. Let’s dive in! 🏊♂️
Q-CONPASS (short for Quality Control and Production Assurance Support System) is a robotic system built around an Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) — a smart robot that can move, see, think, and make decisions on its own inside a factory 🧠👀.
Unlike traditional robots that are stuck behind cages or limited to fixed paths, Q-CONPASS roams freely through dynamic and chaotic environments (like a busy elevator manufacturing plant!). It's designed to:
The Q-CONPASS robot isn’t just hardware — it’s a smart system powered by lightweight AI models and built for real-time decision-making. Here’s what it includes:
Using LiDAR sensors and cameras, the robot creates a real-time map of the environment and finds the safest, shortest path to its destination — just like Google Maps but for factory floors! It also reads yellow lines on the floor to stay on track 📏.
This robot knows how to play nice with humans. Using RGB-D cameras and laser scanners, it spots nearby workers and adjusts its path to maintain safe social distances. It’s kind of like a polite pedestrian robot that won’t bump into anyone! 🚶♂️➡️🤖
The robot doesn’t just “see” the environment — it understands it. Using AI, it identifies and labels different parts of the factory (like packaging zones, assembly lines, and storage areas), so it knows exactly where it is and what it should do 🧭.
Q-CONPASS is equipped with cutting-edge machine vision to help it detect errors and improve worker health.
Ever ordered something online only to find a piece missing when it arrived? Factories deal with this too. Q-CONPASS uses Swin Transformers (a type of AI vision model) to scan packaging areas and spot missing elevator parts in real time 🚨. No more surprises at delivery!
Repetitive bending, lifting, and awkward postures are major causes of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in factory workers 😣. Q-CONPASS watches how workers move using standard RGB cameras and a deep learning model called VIBE to reconstruct their 3D poses.
It then scores each worker's posture using the REBA framework (Rapid Entire Body Assessment) and flags high-risk positions. No wearables needed — just AI vision! 👁️🧠
All the data the robot collects is sent to a Decision Support System (DSS) hosted in the cloud or on-site. This system:
Supervisors can then take action — like rotating workers more often or fixing an issue on the assembly line. It’s like having an extra assistant who never sleeps 🧑💼⏰.
This isn’t just a lab prototype. Q-CONPASS was tested in KLEEMANN’s real lift cabin production line in Greece 🇬🇷.
A typical workday for Q-CONPASS went like this:
🗺️ The robot mapped the entire production floor.
🚚 It delivered materials from the “supermarket” (warehouse) to the assembly area.
📷 It watched workers during assembly and evaluated their postures.
📦 It inspected packaged lift components for missing parts.
🧠 It sent all this data back to the DSS for review and alerts.
✅ Q-CONPASS navigated safely around people and machines.
✅ It successfully detected posture risks and gave ergonomic feedback.
✅ It identified missing items before products were shipped.
✅ And it did all this without slowing down production or needing special infrastructure. Talk about efficient! ⚡
Q-CONPASS brings powerful benefits across the board:
This system is only the beginning 🚀. Here’s what’s on the horizon:
Thanks to its modular design, you can add more robots easily without overhauling your facility 🧱➕🤖.
Future updates could include predictive analytics to spot issues before they happen or to suggest workflow improvements based on real-time trends 📈.
Think ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), supply chain software, and worker scheduling systems — all talking to Q-CONPASS for full digital harmony 💡📡.
The future of smart factories isn't just about faster machines — it's about safer, smarter collaboration between humans and robots. The Q-CONPASS system proves that with the right tech, we can boost productivity and protect worker health.
As Industry 5.0 moves us toward a human-centric, sustainable future, tools like Q-CONPASS aren’t just nice to have — they’re essential 🌍❤️.
🤖 Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) - A robot that can move around on its own without needing human control, using sensors and smart software to "see" and make decisions — like a self-driving delivery bot for factories!
🧠 Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Smart computer programs that can learn, think, and make decisions — kind of like giving brains to machines so they can solve problems or recognize patterns (like spotting missing parts or bad postures). - More about this concept in the article "Decentralized AI and Blockchain: A New Frontier for Secure and Transparent AI Development ⛓️ 🌐".
🧭 Robot Navigation - How a robot finds its way through a space safely — avoiding people, machines, and obstacles, using maps, sensors, and cameras like GPS with eyes. - More about this concept in the article "One Filter to Rule Them All: Revolutionizing Safe Quadrupedal Navigation with AI-Powered Safety Filters ⚠️ ✅".
👀 Computer Vision - A technology that lets computers and robots “see” and understand images or videos — like detecting objects or tracking how a person moves. - More about this concept in the article "Ensuring Construction Safety with AI: Detecting Scaffolding Completeness Using Deep Learning 🏗️ 🤖".
📦 Object Detection - An AI skill where a robot can look at an image and spot specific things (like tools, parts, or packages), often putting a digital “box” around them. - More about this concept in the article "Unlocking Indoor Perception: Meet RETR, the Radar Detection Transformer 📡🏠".
🧍 Ergonomics - The science of designing work tasks to fit the human body — making sure people can work comfortably and safely without hurting themselves. - More about this concept in the article "ErgoChat: Revolutionizing Construction Safety with AI-Powered Ergonomic Risk Assessments 🌟".
🦴 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) - Injuries or pain in muscles, joints, or bones often caused by poor posture, heavy lifting, or repetitive motions at work — common in factories. - More about this concept in the article "ErgoChat: Revolutionizing Construction Safety with AI-Powered Ergonomic Risk Assessments 🌟".
📊 REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment) - A scoring system used to measure how risky a person’s posture is during work — the higher the score, the more likely it is to cause injury.
☁️ Decision Support System (DSS) - A smart software tool that collects data and gives helpful advice — in this case, alerting supervisors when workers are doing risky movements. - More about this concept in the article "🌧️ 🌊 Flood Management with Digital Twins: Engineering a Resilient Future".
🌍 Industry 4.0 - The current era of smart manufacturing where machines, sensors, and software all work together — making factories more efficient, connected, and intelligent. - More about this concept in the article "Personalized Learning with Generative AI and Digital Twins: The Future of Industry 4.0 Training 🤖 🏭".
Source: Sidiropoulos, A.; Konstantinidis, D.; Karamanos, X.; Mastos, T.; Apostolou, K.; Chatzis, T.; Papaspyropoulou, M.; Marini, K.; Karamitsos, G.; Theodoridou, C.; et al. A Novel Autonomous Robotic Vehicle-Based System for Real-Time Production and Safety Control in Industrial Environments. Computers 2025, 14, 188. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers14050188
From: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH); KLEEMANN HELLAS SA; Atlantis Engineering SA.
