Exploring multi-human multi-robot collaboration in assembly processes: Challenges and opportunities in quality and manufacturing
Matteo CAPPONI, Aurora Sofia DI MATTEO, Luca MASTROGIACOMO
Abstract. The recent evolution of robotic systems is pushing the manufacturing sector towards continuous adaptation, incorporating novel technologies. Industry 5.0 is shifting the attention from basic human-robot interactions, typically between a single human operator and a single robot, to more complex configurations of multi-human multi-robot (MH-MR) teams. These advanced systems, in which multiple human and robot agents collaborate on shared tasks, can offer significant advantages on flexibility, adaptability and productivity, while reducing operators’ workload. However, integrating these systems introduces new challenges: such as governing interactions within the team, means of communication and human behavior. Traditional models may no longer be adequate to capture the complexity of MH-MR teams. This paper aims to investigate the challenges and the open questions surrounding the adoption of MH-MR teams in manufacturing. A real case study in assembly is presented as an illustrative example to explore some of the key issues. This serves as a starting point for a broader discussion on how to effectively implement MH-MR teams in industrial contexts.
Keywords
Human Robot Collaboration, Safety and Well-Being, Man-Machine System, Multi-Human Multi-Robot Collaboration, Industry 5.0, Cognitive Workload
Published online 9/10/2025, 8 pages
Copyright © 2025 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Matteo CAPPONI, Aurora Sofia DI MATTEO, Luca MASTROGIACOMO, Exploring multi-human multi-robot collaboration in assembly processes: Challenges and opportunities in quality and manufacturing, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 57, pp 410-417, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903735-48
The article was published as article 48 of the book Italian Manufacturing Association Conference
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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