Optimizing Human-Robot Collaboration in Industry 5.0: A Comparative Study of Communication Mediums and Their Impact on Worker Well-being and Productivity

As manufacturing environments transition towards Industry 5.0 paradigms and incorporate human-robot collaborative activities, investigating optimal communication strategies between human workers and robotic assistants is critical. Smooth coordination through communicating needs, plans, and actions is essential for effective teamwork. However, the impacts of different communication mediums on human factors and assembly cycle time in these hybrid teams remain in initial research stages. While direct physical communication channels, like buttons, allow for communicating the needs of a collaborative human partner, this active medium may increase operator workload and stress. In contrast, indirect visual mediums where robots interpret human behavior may reduce active control demands. Evaluating communication effects is critical as Industry 5.0 aims to improve human well-being by facilitating closer human-machine cooperation. This study compared active, direct communication through physical buttons with passive, indirect communication visually through AI-based robot observation and decision-making. 50 participants completed an assembly task across three conditions: no robot assistance, robot assistance via a direct physical medium, and assistance via an indirect visual medium (AI observing and deciding robot actions). Mental workload and stress were assessed using heart rate variability and reaction times. Assembly cycle times were manually recorded. Results showed a 17% reduction in subjective mental workload with the visual communication medium compared to manual assembly for 64% of participants. HRV analysis indicated lower stress levels in both collaborative conditions compared to manual assembly, with the physical button interface showing the lowest stress levels overall. Assembly times averaged 5% faster with AI-controlled visual communication versus direct button control. These results suggest AI-enabled visual communication better optimizes human wellbeing and productivity, which could play a key role for Industry 5.0 goals in transitioning towards closer and more harmonious human-robot collaboration.