Industry 5.0 (I5.0) emerges as a complementary evolution of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), incorporating not only advanced technological integration, but also human centrality, resilience and sustainability as fundamental pillars. Unlike its predecessor, Industry 5.0 places a strong emphasis on aligning industrial performance with social and environmental values, promoting a balance between production efficiency and human well-being. However, the conceptualization of Industry 5.0 in manufacturing remains fragmented, particularly with regard to its implications for sustainability and the identification of its enabling technologies. Therefore, this study aims to identify, classify and group the central concepts, distinctive characteristics and enabling technologies linked to Industry 5.0 and sustainability in the manufacturing sector. To achieve this, a systematic literature review (SLR) was applied that allowed the key theoretical elements to be extracted, compared and organized, establishing a solid basis for understanding how emerging paradigms are redefining industrial sustainability goals. The study also provides practical and managerial guidance that enables stakeholders (companies, policymakers and academics) to navigate the transition to Industry 5.0 in a manner consistent with the principles of sustainable development.

This paper reports on the refractometric detection of water-adulterated milk using an optical fiber sensor whose principle of operation is based on multimode interference (MMI). The device is manufactured in a simple way by splicing a segment of coreless multimode fiber (NC-MMF) between two single-mode fibers (SMFs); neither functionalization nor deposition of a sensing material is required. MMI takes place in the NC-MMF and, when fed with a broadband spectrum, a transmission peak appears at the output of the MMI device due to its inherent filter-like response, whose position depends on the effective refractive index (RI) of the medium surrounding the NC-MMF. Therefore, when the sensor is immersed in different milk–water mixtures, the peak wavelength shifts according to the RI of the mixture. In this way, adulterated milk can be detected from the wavelength shift of the transmission peak. The system was tested with two commercial brands of milk, and adulterations were clearly distinguished in both cases. In the range of interest, from no dilution up to 50% dilution, the sensor exhibits a linear response with a sensitivity of −0.04251 and −0.03291 nm/%, respectively, for the two samples tested. The measurement protocol is repeatable and allows for locating the peak wavelength within <0.34 nm over several repetitions using different samples with the same concentration. A thermal sensitivity of 0.85 nm/°C was obtained, which suggests that the temperature needs to be maintained as fixed during the measurements. The approach presented can be extended to other scenarios as a quality control tool in beverages for human consumption, showing the advantages of simple construction, high sensitivity, and the potential for real-time monitoring.

We report on the fabrication and testing of a fiber optics sensor based on multimodal interference effects, which aims at the detection of different types of sweeteners dissolved in water. The device, which has a simple structure, commonly known as the SMS configuration, is built by splicing a segment of commercial-grade, coreless multimode fiber (NC-MMF) between two standard single-mode fibers (SMFs). In this configuration, the evanescent field traveling outside the core of the NC-MMF allows the sensing of the refractive index of the surrounding media, making it possible to detect different levels of sugar concentration. The optical sensor was tested with aqueous solutions of glucose, fructose, and sucrose in the concentration range from 0 wt% to 20 wt% at room temperature. The proposed device exhibits a linear response with a sensitivity of 0.1835 nm/wt% for sucrose, 0.1687 nm/wt% for fructose, and 0.1694 nm/wt% for glucose, respectively, with a sensing resolution of around 0.5 wt%. Finally, we show that, despite having similar concentration behavior, some degree of discrimination between the different sugars can be achieved by assessing their thermo-optical response.

We demonstrate a fiber optics sensing structure for the measurement of the refractive index of liquid samples at multiple spatial locations simultaneously. The sensing architecture is all-fiber and consists of standard single-mode–multimode-single-mode multimodal interference (MMI) devices working in parallel. The spectral response of each MMI device is carefully engineered to have nonoverlapping responses, such that the entire system can be interrogated with a single broadband light source and single optical spectrum analyzer. In proof-of-concept experiments, we tested the proposed system with aqueous saline solutions and binary solutions of water–glycerol and water–ethylene glycol. Our results validate the use of the proposed platform for the simultaneous monitoring of the refractive index of liquid samples at different locations.

Fiber optic sensors (FOSs) have transformed industrial applications with their high sensitivity and precision, especially in real-time monitoring. This study presents a fiber optic sensor based on multimodal interference (MMI) applied to detect honey adulteration. The sensor is built using a non-core multimode fiber (NC-MMF) segment spliced between two standard single-mode fibers (SMFs). We focus on reporting the detection of two main adulterants in honey that modify its refractive index (RI): the presence of glucose and moisture content. Detailed testing was performed with two commercially approved honey brands, named A and B. The sensor successfully detected glucose concentrations from 1% to 5% and moisture content from 0% to 20% for both brands. For glucose detection, we obtained sensitivity values −0.55457 nm/% for brand A and −2.61257 nm/% for brand B. In terms of moisture content in honey, we observed a sensitivity around −0.3154 nm/% and −0.3394 nm/% for brands A and B, respectively. Additionally, temperature tests were performed, showing that the sensor works optimally up to 30 °C. The results were validated using a conventional refractometer, showing a close agreement with the data obtained and confirming the reliability and accuracy of the proposed sensor. Compared to other refractometers, the MMI sensor offers advantages such as real-time monitoring, ease of assembly, cost-effectiveness, and minimal maintenance. Furthermore, the sensor represents an alternative tool to guarantee the quality and authenticity of honey, overcoming the limitations of conventional measurement techniques.