Mental Workload and Human-Robot Interaction in Collaborative Tasks: A Scoping Review

In human-robot collaboration (HRC), operators work side by side with collaborative robots
(cobots), a new type of machines able to function safely on tasks shared with humans. Despite
the increasing presence of cobots in factories, the quality of experience associated by workers
with HRC is an underexplored topic. This review is focused on the mental workload (MWL)
reported by operators interacting with cobots, its major sources, and the potential solutions to
optimize it during HRC. Out of 165 papers identified, 23 were selected as specifically devoted to
the exploration of workers’ MWL in a HRC activity. Cobot motion, predictability, task organization
and communication patterns emerged as the major factors contributing to operators’ MWL during
HRC. Endowing cobots with the capacity to meet both task demands and human needs through
modulation of motion rhythm, flexible physical interaction, and more efficient communication patterns
may contribute to mitigating workers’ MWL.