Bridging the Gap: Designing Accessible Industrial Robotics UIs for Non-Technical Users with Concept Design

Abstract

A recent robotics AI startup hopes to provide industrial robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) to a non-technical demographic. Their affordable collaborative robotic arms are equipped with computer vision systems. This grants the simplicity, flexibility, and affordability necessary to lower the barrier of entry into automation technologies for smaller and medium-sized manufacturing businesses. In this thesis, I outline my approach to redesigning the startup’s prototype UI inspired by Concept Design, a methodology formalized by MIT professor Daniel Jackson. By clarifying the core concepts of the startup’s application, the presentation became clearer and the robotics company was able to deploy a more adaptable, robust, and intuitive user experience to their first customers.