Human–robot collaborative systems have been adopted by manufacturing organizations with the objective of releasing physical workload to the human factor. However, the roles and responsibilities of human operators in these semi-automated systems have not been properly analyzed. This might carry important consequences in the cognitive dimension of ergonomics, which then contradicts the main well-being goals of collaborative work. Therefore, we designed a series of collaborative scenarios where we shifted the assignment of work responsibilities between humans and robots while executing a quality inspection task. Variations in the state of cognitive ergonomics were estimated with subjective and objective techniques via workload tests and physiological responses respectively. Furthermore, we introduced a work design framework based on 50 state-of-the-art applications for a structured implementation of human–robot collaborative systems that contemplates the underlying organizational and technological components necessary to fulfill its basic functionalities. Human operators that possessed responsibility roles over collaborative robots presented better results in terms of cognitive workload and spare mental capacity alike. In this regard, mental demand is seen as a key workload variable to consider when designing collaborative work in current manufacturing settings.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been the most recent disease, with millions of deaths worldwide. Fortunately, vaccines have been developed to immunize the population. However, the distribution of the vaccine is also a significant challenge. Generally, each country defines its strategy to bring it closer to the target population, considering the adequate transport for their conservation, depending on the type of vaccines defined. In this work, a mathematical model is proposed for the distribution of different COVID-19 vaccines in Mexico. Our results suggest an efficient strategy to meet demand in a given period.

The growing demand for bottled beverages has led to the search for optimal configurations that represent the lowest costs. Using crossdocking techniques reduces storage costs, these costs being the main ones in the logistics of distribution of products to the consumer. However, it is vitally important to consider the ergonomics of the workers who are subjected to the loading and unloading of products to meet the demands. Various ailments have been reported to the authorities, and it is imperative to address them for decision making. Likewise, the best arrangement of the products within these fast warehouses is associated with the relationship between the number of times a worker travels to pick up the product from the place where it is located to the loading area and the distance. In this work, the distribution from the production plants and the crossdocking to the distribution centers are proposed jointly and in each distribution center the best arrangement of the products is determined, as well as the ergonomics of those involved, considering the best scheme that represents the lowest cost. The results show the best distribution of products as well as the crossdocking that must be installed to meet the demands of the distribution centers.

The rapid growth of the video game streaming industry has provided many with the opportunity to play videogames as a living. Streamers face a variety of health and mental problems that could lead to their early retirement due to the challenge that is streaming daily, without health considerations. Many people wish to become a successful streamer but fail to catch an audience. This research explores the application of different operation management methods to find the optimal schedule that allows a person to maximize their monthly income by choosing the most profitable game genre, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The findings presented offer valuable insights into the video game streaming industry which continues to grow on an annual basis and becomes a more popular career for people to follow.