Towards an Ergonomic Assessment in Collaborative Robotic Systems: From Empirical Insights to Framework Development

The transition from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 marks a shift toward sustainable, resilient, and human-centered manufacturing. In this context, collaborative robots (cobots) are envisioned not as replacements for human labor but as intelligent partners capable of supporting workers through adaptive collaboration. However, most existing frameworks still treat ergonomics as a post-design outcome rather than a design and control requirement, and current cobots lack the ability to perceive, interpret, and adapt to human physical and cognitive states. Building upon a series of previous empirical studies, this work consolidates their findings into the Human-Centered Ergonomic Rational Assessment for Collaborative Robotic Systems (Human-ERA-Cobotic) framework, outlining a structured roadmap for integrating physical and cognitive ergonomics into the design rationale of cobots. The framework defines how ergonomic requirements can be systematically linked to adaptive cobot behaviors, promoting safety, fluency, and well-being in Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC). Instead of presenting a new empirical investigation, the current article synthesizes the results of previous studies, that collectively informed the three layers of the framework: (i) Ergonomic potentiality assessment, defining where and why HRC should be implemented; (ii) Ergonomic-based behavioral modes definition, identifying how assistance should adapt to human needs; and (iii) Real-time ergonomic assessment proposal, outlining how multimodal sensing of posture, attention, and task performance could enable adaptive control. By consolidating these contributions, the Human-ERA-Cobotic framework provides a conceptual roadmap for human-aware and ergonomically intelligent cobots, aligning technological innovation with the human-centered principles of Industry 5.0.

Keywords: Adaptive Assistance, Human-ERA-Cobotic Framework, Ergonomics, Human-Robot Collaboration, Industry 5.0.