Latest Advances and Future Directions of Robotic Systems and Automation Toward Industry 5.0

Dear Colleagues,

The industrial paradigm is shifting from Industry 4.0 towards Industry 5.0. While the goals of Industry 4.0, namely efficiency and productivity optimization in manufacturing processes, are not abandoned, the focus of the industrial sector is shifting towards human-centric, sustainable, and resilient manufacturing systems as the main pillars of Industry 5.0. The rise of Collaborative Robots and Human-Robot Collaboration is intended to create a working environment where repetitive or physically intensive tasks are allocated to robots, allowing humans to focus on cognitive tasks such as decision-making, while working on the same project simultaneously. However, the growing environmental crisis has highlighted the need for sustainable systems, and robotic systems are a prime candidate for operational efficiency and waste reduction. Finally, the globalization of the industrial field, in light of global phenomena such as war or pandemics which are currently affecting the planet, has shown that fortifying system resilience is mandatory to ensure continued operation. As such, the goal of this Special Issue is to review applications of robotic systems and automation in manufacturing, as well as the means by which these will support the Industry 5.0 pillars of human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience.

Topics include but are not limited to:

• Collaborative Robots (Cobots)
• Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC)
• Sustainable robotic systems
• System sustainability through automation
• Robotic applications in Industry 5.0
• Considering resilience during implementation of manufacturing automation
• Resilient robotic systems
• Remote collaboration in the context of emergencies
• Worker safety in robotic environments
• Technologies supporting robotic systems in the context of Industry 5.0

Prof. Dr. Dimitris Mourtzis
Dr. Foivos Psarommatis
Guest Editors

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