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Conference Agenda

Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).

Daily Overview

Session

HF/ERG 1: Human Factors & Ergonomics 1
Location: B8.1.2
Session Chair: Prof. Francesca De Crescenzio, University of Bologna
Session Chair: Marianna Ciccarelli, Universitas Mercatorum

Presentation 5

Human-Centered Evaluation of Physical and Cognitive Ergonomics in Semi-Automated Manufacturing Systems for Industry 5.0

Agnese BRUNZINI¹, Marianna CICCARELLI², Manila CARAGIULI², Michele GERMANI²

1: Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, Italy; 2: Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy

The transition toward Industry 5.0 is promoting the adoption of human-centered manufacturing approaches aimed at balancing automation efficiency with operator well-being and social sustainability. In this context, the present study investigates the impact of alternative semi-automated workstation layouts on both physical and cognitive ergonomics within a heat exchanger production system. Three operational configurations were analyzed and compared with previous manual and semi-automated solutions. Physical ergonomics was assessed through motion-capture-based RULA analysis using the Xsens MVN Awinda system, while cognitive ergonomics was evaluated through physiological stress monitoring based on heart rate, RR interval, and electrodermal activity acquired using an Empatica EmbracePlus wearable device. Results showed that the integration of conveyor-based fixtures and dedicated support stations significantly reduced biomechanical exposure, particularly by minimizing manual handling and trunk flexion. However, the reduction of physical workload was partially associated with increased supervisory and attentional demands, especially in the most automated configuration. The study demonstrates that collaborative automation primarily redistributes operator workload between physical and cognitive dimensions rather than eliminating it. The proposed human-centered design approach provides useful insights for the development of sustainable and ergonomically optimized Industry 5.0 manufacturing systems.