Human-Centered Robotics: The Transition to Industry 5.0

A special issue of Robotics (ISSN 2218-6581). This special issue belongs to the section "Humanoid and Human Robotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2026) | Viewed by 3273

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Leonardo de Vinci Engineering School (ESILV), De Vinci Research Center (DVRC), Courbevoie, France
Interests: parallel kinematic mechanisms; tensegrity; design optimization; bio-inspired locomotion; bio-mimetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the recent rapid advancements seen in Industry 4.0 technologies and artificial intelligence, industries are looking increasingly towards intelligent automation and smart systems for the future. These advancements simplify many complex industrial tasks through technologies such as the Internet of Things, data analytics, and collaborative robots. However, for small- and medium-sized enterprises  (SMEs), approaches often remain conventional. This is primarily due to limited production volumes and concerns that human operators might be fully replaced by advanced robotic systems.

The objective of this Special Issue is therefore to explore the significance of the latest intelligent technologies, particularly collaborative robots and their role in fostering effective human–robot interactions. Beyond handling production volumes, these robots can be vital for automating tasks that are strenuous or pose long-term musculoskeletal risks, thereby improving occupational safety, especially in SMEs.

This Special Issue invites contributions on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Intelligent human–robot interactions;
  • LLM-based approaches for robot interactions;
  • Collaborative robots for intricate or complex operations.

By focusing on human-centric automation, this Special Issue aims to provide insights into how robotics can enhance productivity while maintaining the central role of human workers in Industry 5.0.

Dr. Swaminath Venkateswaran
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Robotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • human-robot interaction
  • intelligent systems
  • Industry 4.0
  • Industry 5.0

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

32 pages, 2223 KB  
Article
From Large Language Models to Agentic AI in Industry 5.0 and the Post-ChatGPT Era: A Socio-Technical Framework and Review on Human–Robot Collaboration
by Enrique Coronado
Robotics 2026, 15(3), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics15030058 - 12 Mar 2026
Viewed by 2633
Abstract
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), particularly Foundation Models (FMs), has recently become a key component of Industry 5.0. Despite growing interest in integrating these technologies into industrial environments, comprehensive analyses of the socio-technical opportunities and challenges of deploying these emerging AI systems in real-world [...] Read more.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), particularly Foundation Models (FMs), has recently become a key component of Industry 5.0. Despite growing interest in integrating these technologies into industrial environments, comprehensive analyses of the socio-technical opportunities and challenges of deploying these emerging AI systems in real-world settings remain limited. This article proposes a socio-technical conceptual perspective, termed Responsible Agentic Robotics (RAR), which structures the lifecycle deployment of agentic AI-enabled robotic systems around three core layers: context, design, and value. Additionally, this article presents a brief review of 21 peer-reviewed studies published between 2023 and 2025 (post-ChatGPT era) on FMs and agentic AI-enabled Human–Robot Collaboration (HRC) in industrial assembly/disassembly environments. The results indicate that existing research remains predominantly technology-centric, with a strong emphasis on enhancing robot autonomy, while comparatively limited attention is devoted to human-centered and responsible practices. Moreover, empirical evaluations of human, social, and sustainability dimensions, such as worker empowerment, human factors, well-being, inclusivity, resource utilization, and environmental impact, are rarely conducted and poorly discussed. This article concludes by identifying key socio-technical gaps, outlining future research directions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human-Centered Robotics: The Transition to Industry 5.0)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop