In the HPS4MAN project, some of the HTlab research team collaborated with the company BNP SRL to analyze how workers interacted with collaborative robots to perform industrial tasks.
The project several had several objectives. Firstly, the evaluation of the impact of human-robot collaboration on workers’ cognitive load, stress levels, and overall well-being and user experience in Industry 4.0. Secondly, the assessment of the impact of individual and social variables on the acceptance and adoption of cutting-edge technologies in the context of Industry 4.0 which can allow a better introduction and integration of robotic systems in the workforce.

The project’s methodology involved a comprehensive exploration of the working environment and analysis of the work process, both before and after the integration of collaborative robots into the workflow. A set of qualitative and quantitative research methods and tools were considered, also the use of biometric detection tools. Through the measurement of cognitive load, we intended to develop a prototype of a Human Cyber-Physical System that can adapt to the needs and “internal state” of the operator, ensuring an efficient and optimized human-robot collaboration and, as a consequence, a positive working experience.