A harmonious synergy between robotic performance and well-being in human-robot collaboration: A vision and key recommendations

Abstract

The transition from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 marks a significant shift towards human-centric manufacturing processes, emphasizing the integration of collaborative robots with advanced sensory and cognitive abilities. Unlike previous industrial revolutions, Industry 5.0 prioritizes the integration of human workers alongside advanced technologies, emphasizing collaboration, and acknowledging the unique strengths of both humans and machines, with a focus on human well-being. However, this transition presents significant challenges to adopting cobots in industries due to safety concerns compromising efficiency. While robotics and automation traditionally focus on maximizing performance and minimizing human intervention, the latter no longer applies to human-robot collaboration. There is a need for developing approaches and technologies that can seamlessly combine high-level robotic performance with safety, as well as pursue operator well-being. This paper presents a vision and specific recommendations for a harmonious synergy between robot performance and operator well-being in human-robot collaboration.

Our vision includes the need to develop cobots that are contextually intelligent, capable of meaningful conversation, and adaptable to changing conditions. The paper identifies current challenges, such as safety concerns impacting performance, a narrow safety focus and overlooked system-wide impacts, limited guidance on well-being, and insufficient interdisciplinary approaches. To overcome the identified challenges, key recommendations essential for achieving the vision are outlined, and pathways to overcome remaining obstacles are presented. These recommendations include designing context-aware, cognitively embodied, and socially proficient cobots; balancing autonomy and control in task allocation; and adopting a socio-technical systems perspective. Although numerous technical obstacles remain, the rapid advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly in generative AI, provide an extraordinary and previously unattainable catalyst for realizing our vision, serving as a fundamental enabler.

Our methodology combines expert synthesis and a narrative literature review, drawing on diverse academic domains such as robotics, industrial manufacturing, safety, and human factors. This paper advances human-robot collaboration research by adopting a holistic approach that integrates engineering and non-engineering perspectives, emphasizing technical performance, safety, well-being, and socio-technical systems to optimize collaboration. We aim to inspire and guide both the engineering and robotics community and the human factors and safety community toward developing more holistic, safer, and human-centered collaborative robotic systems. By embracing the interdisciplinary approach, we advocate in this paper, both technical and non-technical experts can benefit from the insights provided.