In this review we address the human in human robot collaboration (HRC). Although there are different hypotheses on potential effects of HRC on job quality, defined as the quality of the working environment and its effect on the employee’s well-being, a comprehensive theory is still lacking. How does HRC influence job quality on an individual level and how can we adapt HRC to boost positivity at work? We identified four job quality related factors that are of relevance in HRC: (1) Cognitive Workload, (2) Collaboration Fluency, (3) Trust, and (4) Acceptance and Satisfaction. Increasing awareness and being able to adapt the robot to the individual operator are crucial to improve the aforementioned factors. Implementing predictable robots, that offer a clear advantage to the human and take into account operators’ preferences, will bring us closer to a human-centered collaboration. Practitioner Summary: The effect of human robot collaboration (HRC) on job quality is still under debate. Design characteristics of HRC, such as collaboration design, robot design, and workplace design affect job quality related factors. Using a participatory design approach, as to align robot capabilities to end-users’ preferences, will enhance HRC and improve job quality. Abbreviations: HRC: human robot collaboration; OECD: organisation for economic co-operation and development

We developed a passive exoskeleton that was designed to minimize joint work during walking. The exoskeleton makes use of passive structures, called artificial tendons, acting in parallel with the leg. Artificial tendons are elastic elements that are able to store and redistribute energy over the human leg joints. The elastic characteristics of the tendons have been optimized to minimize the mechanical work of the human leg joints. In simulation the maximal reduction was 40 percent. The performance of the exoskeleton was evaluated in an experiment in which nine subjects participated. Energy expenditure and muscle activation were measured during three conditions: Normal walking, walking with the exoskeleton without artificial tendons, and walking with the exoskeleton with the artificial tendons. Normal walking was the most energy efficient. While walking with the exoskeleton, the artificial tendons only resulted in a negligibly small decrease in energy expenditure.

Wearable exoskeletons might reduce human effort during walking. However, many of the current exoskeletons rely on heavy actuators and/or external power supplies; this has a negative impact on their efficiency and operation range. As an alternative, (quasi)passive exoskeletons have been developed. One of the proposed passive exoskeleton concepts is the exotendon concept of van den Bogert [1]. In this concept, long elastic cables span multiple joints. The cables can temporarily store and transfer energy between joints. In simulation, the average absolute joint torque can be reduced by 71%. The simulations are based on the hypotheses 1) that the exoskeleton does not influence the joint angles and 2) the total joint torques and a reduction in the human joint torques results in a reduction in the metabolic cost of walking. The goal of this article is to experimentally evaluate the exotendon concept and test the hypotheses underlying it. We implemented the exotendon concept in a lightweight exoskeleton. Experimental results show that the exotendons indeed reduced the average absolute joint torques. However, the exotendons also influenced the joint kinematics, and the metabolic cost of walking did not decrease. Therefore, the underlying assumptions of the exotendon concept are invalid. We also found that, in practice, the amount of support given by the exotendons is limited to about 35% of the theoretical optimal support. For higher levels of support, the motion is hindered and the support is experienced as uncomfortable by the users of the exoskeleton.

This paper evaluates the Achilles exoskeleton. The exoskeleton is intended to provide push-off assistance for healthy subjects during walking. The assistance is provided by a series elastic actuator that has been optimized to provide maximal push-off power. The paper presents the control method of the exoskeleton and the evaluation of the exoskeleton. Benchtop tests evaluated the performance of the actuator and human experiments evaluated the working of the complete system. The actuator can track force reference signals with amplitudes of 1 to 100 N with a bandwidth between 8.1 and 20.6 Hz, and outputs a maximum mechanical power of 80.2 W. Based on these results the augmentation factor predicted that the exoskeleton can generate a 33 W decrease in metabolic cost. In contrast with this prediction, in the human experiments we found an increase in metabolic rate for assistance (21.2 W) and no assistance (22.7 W) compared to baseline.

In collaborative robotic applications, human and robot have to work together during a whole shift for executing a sequence of jobs. The performance of the human robot team can be enhanced by scheduling the right tasks to the human and the robot. The scheduling should consider the task execution constraints, the variability in the task execution by the human, and the job quality of the human. Therefore, it is necessary to dynamically schedule the assigned tasks. In this paper, we propose a two-layered architecture for task allocation and scheduling in a collaborative cell. Job quality is explicitly considered during the allocation of the tasks and over a sequence of jobs. The tasks are dynamically scheduled based on the real time monitoring of the human's activities. The effectiveness of the proposed architecture is experimentally validated.

Industry 5.0 is a relatively new topic and not yet well-defined. This article’s purpose is to develop understanding of Industry 5.0 by offering a new socio-centric conceptual framework. It extends prevailing perception of Industry 5.0 by integrating workforce skills, labour shortages, and eco-digital shifts. The study explores workforce skill measurement and its implementation. Three methods were combined to develop the conceptual framework: (i) review of academic and policy literature; (ii) scholarly and expert discussions; (iii) consultations with practitioners, companies and networks on Industry 5.0’s relevance. Industry 5.0 expands Industry 4.0's technology-focused approach. This new paradigm emphasises human-centricity, sustainability and resilience, infusing societal values into organisational management. Our findings suggest that, while firmly rooted in EU policy, Industry 5.0 must find integration at national levels and within pertinent ecosystems. This article introduces innovative perspectives on conceptualising and evaluating workforce skills for Industry 5.0. Mitigating skills gaps is crucial in enabling companies and employees to leverage the eco-digital shift, fostering sustainability, resilience and equity across Europe. A limitation to understanding Industry 5.0 is that policy discussions run ahead of collecting empirical data. As a consequence, one must be careful in drawing firm conclusions. While prior research underscores the need for skilled workforces in Industry 5.0, it falls short of elucidating evolving job dynamics in the Industry 5.0 transition. This article addresses this gap by examining the evolving job landscape, skills, and learning trajectories.