Designing Error-Resilient Human-in-the-Loop Interfaces for Battery Passport Compliance

Abstract

The implementation of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) mandated by the EU Battery Regulation (EU 2023/1542) requires the precise recording and continuous updating of technical and lifecycle data for batteries. While large manufacturers typically rely on automated machine-to-machine (M2M) interfaces, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including both producers placing batteries on the market and downstream actors involved in activities such as repair, repurposing, and dismantling, are more likely to depend on manual data entry to maintain passport records. These environments, characterized by heterogeneous processes, and varying levels of digital literacy, the risk of human error is substantial and directly affects regulatory compliance and operational safety. This paper investigates how data quality can be ensured in manual Human-in-the-Loop processes within the DPP ecosystem. Building on established taxonomies of human error that differentiate between execution slips and knowledge-based mistakes, it applies a multi-layered validation framework for DPP user interfaces. The framework introduces design principles for error-resilient data entry that extend beyond basic syntactic checks to include semantic plausibility controls, for example, cross-validating mass, chemistry, and application type as well as context-aware constraints tailored to specific lifecycle stages.

Keywords: Digital Product Passport (DPP), Human Error, Data Entry, SME, Validation, Cognitive Load, Interface Design, Regulatory Compliance

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007781