Project Leader: Univ.-Prof. Dr. MMag. Bettina Kubicek
Funding: European Commission (Horizon Europe)
Duration: 2026–2029
Abstract:
GROWT5 is designed as a wearable augmentation platform that enhances safety, optimises workflows and enables human-centred collaboration in manufacturing, with the aim of supporting the transition to more integrated human-robot factories in the industrial environments of the future. The system is based on smart garments featuring multi-electrode arrays integrated into the fabric, which enable multimodal biosensing and electro-tactile stimulation. Supported by digital twins and AI-driven inference models, the system monitors physical strain, cognitive load and psychophysiological state. Shared control strategies enable collaborative robots to seamlessly assist operators with physically demanding and repetitive tasks, whilst electro-tactile signals provide intuitive feedback on the skin regarding timing, safety and guidance.
The wearable electronics, embedded sensors, tactile feedback and cloud-connected control mechanisms together form a closed-loop human-robot teaming system that is adaptive, trustworthy and ergonomically optimised. A strong focus on SSH-led design and validation ensures that inclusivity, worker empowerment and ethical considerations are integrated throughout the development process. Project demonstrators will showcase the technology in various industrial pilot applications, ranging from high-throughput packaging and artisanal food processing to the flexible, precision assembly of high-quality gears and gear components. This covers a range of manufacturing contexts in which cobots and humans need to work closely together.
By integrating sustainable materials, textile-based, mass-customisable electrodes and interoperable interfaces with existing robotics platforms, GROWT5 contributes to both the green and digital transformation of manufacturing. The project will demonstrate how human-centred augmentation can reduce physical and cognitive strain, improve safety and efficiency, and create more attractive and sustainable jobs.