{"id":654,"date":"2026-05-27T08:36:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T08:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.widg.de\/?page_id=654"},"modified":"2026-09-02T01:01:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T23:01:26","slug":"cube-4-0-wie-ein-werkstueck-einer-industrie-4-0-simulationsumgebung-mit-hilfe-des-design-thinking-ansatzes-beduerfnisorientiert-verbessert-werden-kann","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.widg.de\/en\/cube-4-0-wie-ein-werkstueck-einer-industrie-4-0-simulationsumgebung-mit-hilfe-des-design-thinking-ansatzes-beduerfnisorientiert-verbessert-werden-kann\/","title":{"rendered":"Cube 4.0: How a Workpiece in an Industry 4.0 Simulation Environment Can Be Improved Based on User Needs Using the Design Thinking Approach"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Project Overview<\/h2>\n\n

In the \u201cCube 4.0\u201d project, an existing workpiece (Cube 3.0) from the Industry 4.0 simulation environment of the Chair of Business Informatics, Processes and Systems (LSWI) was systematically analyzed and further developed.<\/p>\n\n

The aim was to use the\u00a0Design Thinking approach<\/strong>\u00a0to develop a user-centered, technically more powerful, and more modular workpiece and implement it as a functional prototype.<\/p>\n\n

The main areas of focus were:<\/p>\n\n

    \n
  • improving computing performance and battery capacity<\/li>\n\n
  • reducing weight and size<\/li>\n\n
  • increasing modularity and scalability<\/li>\n\n
  • improving usability and communication capabilities<\/li>\n\n
  • preparing the system for tracking and AR\/VR scenarios<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \n

    Initial Situation: Cube 3.0<\/h2>\n\n

    Cube 3.0 served as a central workpiece for the hybrid simulation of Industry 4.0 processes within the ZIP. It combined:<\/p>\n\n

      \n
    • physical movement along an industrial production line<\/li>\n\n
    • digital process visualization across multiple displays<\/li>\n\n
    • data recording and interaction capabilities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

      Despite several development cycles, a number of structural weaknesses remained:<\/p>\n\n

        \n
      • high weight (~8 kg)<\/li>\n\n
      • large housing volume<\/li>\n\n
      • limited battery capacity<\/li>\n\n
      • limited modularity<\/li>\n\n
      • no tracking functionality<\/li>\n\n
      • limited interaction and communication capabilities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

        These weaknesses formed the starting point for the further development.<\/p>\n

        \n

        Approach & Methodology<\/h2>\n\n

        The development process followed the five phases of the\u00a0Design Thinking Prozesses<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n

        1. Empathize<\/h3>\n\n
          \n
        • analysis of the current state<\/li>\n\n
        • literature review on Industry 4.0 and Design Thinking<\/li>\n\n
        • definition of relevant personas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

          2. Define<\/h3>\n\n
            \n
          • workshops with technical operators, researchers, and other stakeholders<\/li>\n\n
          • identification and prioritization of \u201cmust-have\u201d and \u201cnice-to-have\u201d requirements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

            3. Ideate<\/h3>\n\n
              \n
            • development of several concept variants (Display Cube, Upgrade Cube, Mini Cube)<\/li>\n\n
            • evaluation based on feasibility and expected benefits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

              4. Prototype<\/h3>\n\n
                \n
              • selection of suitable hardware components<\/li>\n\n
              • 3D design and 3D printing of the housing<\/li>\n\n
              • integration of Raspberry Pi, displays, speaker, microphone, and batteries<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

                5. Test<\/h3>\n\n
                  \n
                • functional testing of the alpha prototype<\/li>\n\n
                • documentation of technical challenges<\/li>\n\n
                • identification of optimization potential<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                  \n

                  Solution Concept: Mini-Cube 4.0<\/h2>\n\n

                  The final concept focused on implementing a\u00a0Mini-Cube 4.0<\/strong>\u00a0as a modular alpha prototype.<\/p>\n\n

                  Key features included:<\/p>\n\n

                    \n
                  • Raspberry Pi 4 (8 GB RAM)<\/li>\n\n
                  • up to three touch displays<\/li>\n\n
                  • two lithium-polymer batteries<\/li>\n\n
                  • integrated speaker and microphone<\/li>\n\n
                  • LED status indicator<\/li>\n\n
                  • 3D-printed, symmetrical housing made of PLA<\/li>\n\n
                  • preparation for RFID\/UWB tracking<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                    \n

                    Results<\/h2>\n\n

                    Compared with Cube 3.0, the Mini-Cube 4.0 achieved significant improvements:<\/p>\n\n

                      \n
                    • 85% weight reduction<\/strong><\/li>\n\n
                    • more than 80% reduction in volume<\/strong><\/li>\n\n
                    • improved performance<\/li>\n\n
                    • modular design<\/li>\n\n
                    • network-based remote control<\/li>\n\n
                    • expanded communication capabilities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

                      The Cube can be controlled both locally via touch display and remotely over a network, enabling flexible use in research and teaching scenarios.<\/p>\n

                      \n

                      Added Value & Knowledge Transfer<\/h2>\n\n

                      The project demonstrates how:<\/p>\n\n

                        \n
                      • design-thinking can be applied in a technical environment<\/li>\n\n
                      • user-centered product development can be implemented in research infrastructures<\/li>\n\n
                      • Industry 4.0 concepts can be tested in practice<\/li>\n\n
                      • interdisciplinary teams can develop functional prototypes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

                        The developed Mini-Cube provides a foundation for further iterations, including:<\/p>\n\n

                          \n
                        • integration of RFID\/UWB tracking<\/li>\n\n
                        • AR\/VR integration<\/li>\n\n
                        • modular assembly scenarios involving multiple Cubes<\/li>\n\n
                        • software extensions for simulation control<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

                          The project therefore makes a concrete contribution to the further development of experimental Industry 4.0 environments.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                          Projekt\u00fcberblick Im Projekt \u201eCube 4.0\u201c wurde ein bestehendes Werkst\u00fcck (Cube 3.0) der Industrie-4.0-Simulationsumgebung des Lehrstuhls f\u00fcr Wirtschaftsinformatik, Prozesse und Systeme (LSWI) systematisch analysiert und weiterentwickelt. Ziel war es, mithilfe des\u00a0Design Thinking Ansatzes\u00a0ein bed\u00fcrfnisorientiertes, technisch leistungsf\u00e4higeres und modulareres Werkst\u00fcck zu konzipieren und als funktionsf\u00e4higen Prototyp umzusetzen. Im Fokus standen insbesondere: Ausgangslage: Cube 3.0 Der Cube 3.0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-654","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.widg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.widg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.widg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.widg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.widg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=654"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.widg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1409,"href":"https:\/\/www.widg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/654\/revisions\/1409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.widg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}