Enhancing Human-Machine Interactions: A Novel Framework for AR-Based Digital Twin Systems in Industrial Environments

Industry 5.0 represents a paradigm shift initiated by the European Commission, which emphasizes human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience in industrial settings. This novel paradigm underscores the importance of giving a central role to humans in every process entailed in the implementation of advanced technologies into work and industrial scenarios. By following this view, in this work, we present a novel human-centric framework integrating Digital Twins (DTs) and Augmented Reality (AR) within a manufacturing setting, focusing on a design and evaluation process that facilitates seamless interaction between humans and machines. This work contributes to the ongoing discourse on Industry 5.0 by offering a twofold yet integrated perspective on humans and novel industrial technologies, providing insights into the transformative potential of integrating AR and DT technologies within industrial settings. From a technical perspective, the framework's hardware and software specifications, design principles, and technical implementation are elucidated, followed by an evaluation of its responsiveness and spatial accuracy. Results demonstrate the framework's efficacy in providing real-time monitoring and control of robotic systems. Parallely, the potential impacts of our AR-based digital twin systems on human labor and work routines are discussed, providing a more human-based perspective to complement the technical one.