The Future of Proxemic Interaction in Smart Factories

Digitalization in Smart Factories is allowing virtual, physical asset data, as well as processes data to be connected throughout their lifecycles. Here, digital twins mirror the behaviors of physical assets and can simulate their spatiotemporal statuses. The work systems that employ digital twins have yet to address in-situ information representation to workers and ways to mitigate task information overload. Thus, the key is to only present relevant information when and where it is needed. We propose proxemic interaction patterns, i.e. the distance from the user to the device or between devices, for visualization of this data. Here, we outline how scaling the amount and type of augmented reality visualization could be realized using distance, angle, and orientation of users. We first showcase possible scenarios of how proxemic interaction can support workers in smart factories. We then highlight challenges and opportunities when using proxemic interaction in industrial settings such as manufacturing and warehousing. Finally, we present possible future investigations concerning proxemic interactions in the context of a smart factory.