New challenges for Ergonomics \& Human Factors in the Digital Transformation

The current digital transformation in industrial manufacturing contexts presents significant challenges and opportunities for Ergonomics & Human Factors (E&HF). Considering that novel industrial environments are evolving towards interconnected, intelligent, and adaptive systems, ergonomists are increasingly required to codevelop solutions that align technological innovation with human well-being and performance. This paper summarizes two research projects (case studies) that exemplify this synergy between E&HF and digital transformation in different manufacturing workstations. The first case study explores augmented reality (AR) interfaces for training in industrial manufacturing settings. Through experiments involving usability tests, human performance, and cognitive workload metrics, the study assesses how AR can enhance skills acquisition while respecting ergonomic requirements. The second is focused on Human Robot-Collaboration (HRC), which addresses the ergonomic design of assembly tasks through adaptive cobots that respect workers' postures and physical factors. Results demonstrate improvements in musculoskeletal risk mitigation and human well-being, emphasizing the importance of ergonomic design of HRC scenarios. These projects illustrate the importance of E&HF methodologies for the design and development of the next generation of intelligent workstations. Globally, the results demonstrate that embedding E&HF across the digital transformation processes not only improves productivity and safety but also potentiates a more inclusive and sustainable technological evolution. Future research should advance toward real-time ergonomic adaptation, multimodal human monitoring, and explainable human-AI collaboration, respecting the paradigm of Industry 5.0.

Keywords: Ergonomics, Digital Transformation, Augmented Reality, Human-Robot Collaboration.