Adaptive automation and human factors in manufacturing: An experimental assessment for a cognitive approach

Despite increasing automation levels and digital solutions, production systems still very much rely on the inescapable contribution of the human factor. The changing relationship between man, the technological system and the organization framework together with the increased complexity result in high risks for workers’ safety and their psychophysical health. Adaptive factory automation and management solutions integrating the man in the loop are proposed in order to achieve production performance, workers safety and well being in a balanced way in varying boundary and exogenous conditions. Particularly, this paper presents new methods and the related recent case studies in different sectors.