Human-Robot Collaboration in Manufacturing Safety and Ethical Considerations

Overview:

The integration of collaborative robotics in manufacturing is transforming industrial processes by enhancing productivity, flexibility and cost-efficiency. Unlike traditional automation, where robots and humans operate separately, Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) enables shared workspaces, combining human judgment, adaptability and decision-making with the precision, strength and consistency of robotic systems. This approach has the potential to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance production quality. However, ensuring safety, trust and ethical considerations remains a major challenge in deploying HRC systems in real-world industrial environments.  Despite their increasing adoption, HRC systems still require significant research and development to address challenges related to safety protocols, human-machine interaction and adaptability in dynamic production settings. Achieving seamless human-robot collaboration requires holistic system design, encompassing advanced sensing, cognitive decision-making and real-time execution to ensure that humans and robots can work together safely and efficiently.

The advancement of smart manufacturing has revolutionized industrial production by enabling seamless collaboration between humans and robots. However, this transition introduces new safety challenges, as conventional factory protocols were designed with strict separation between human and robotic workspaces to prevent accidents. As intelligent robots become more integrated into human-centric production environments, it is essential to reassess safety measures, risk management frameworks and ethical considerations to ensure a secure and efficient working environment.  Traditional safety regulations must be revised and adapted to accommodate dynamic human-robot interactions, addressing concerns such as collision avoidance, emergency response mechanisms and adaptive risk assessment. Additionally, human factors play a pivotal role in the success of human-robot collaboration. Factors such as trust in automation, workload distribution, cognitive workload and ergonomic challenges must be carefully evaluated to foster effective, sustainable and psychologically comfortable partnerships between human workers and robotic systems, ultimately ensuring a productive and safe manufacturing ecosystem.  This special issue aims to explore the latest advancements, challenges and future directions in human-robot collaboration for manufacturing, focusing on safety, ethics, trust and intelligent cooperation.

Topics:

• Assessing the impact of HRC on productivity, efficiency and worker satisfaction.
• Exploring digital twin technologies and simulation environments for training and workflow optimization.
• Developing new frameworks to ensure worker safety in human-robot shared environments.
• Investigating psychological and ergonomic aspects that influence worker trust and acceptance of robots.
• Leveraging machine learning and predictive analytics to optimize interaction and prevent failures.
• Examining sensor integration, real-time monitoring and smart decision-making in hazardous environments.
• Addressing concerns related to data privacy, decision transparency and workplace regulations.
• Investigating process improvements through task allocation, workload balancing and workflow automation.
• Developing responsive robotic systems that adjust actions based on real-time human input and environmental changes.
• Exploring gesture recognition, voice commands and haptic feedback in industrial robotics.
• Evaluating exoskeletons, smart gloves and other wearables that improve safety and efficiency in collaborative settings.
• Investigating the long-term implications of human-robot teams on labor markets and workforce training.
• Implementing AI-based monitoring systems to detect safety risks and operational inefficiencies.
• Analyzing real-world implementations, lessons learned and best practices in different manufacturing sectors.

Submission Guidelines:

New papers, or extended versions of papers presented at related conferences, are welcome. Submissions must not be currently under review for publication elsewhere. Conference papers may be submitted only if they are substantially extended (more than 50%), and must be referenced. All submitted papers will be peer-reviewed using the normal standards of the Journal, and accepted based on quality, originality, novelty, and relevance to the theme of the special issue. By submitting a paper to this issue, the authors agree to referee one paper (if asked) within the time frame of the special issue.

Authors should submit their papers through the journal's web submission tool at https://www.editorialmanager.com/cogrob/default.aspx

by selecting the code “SI-hrc” under the “Issues” tab.

For additional questions, contact the Main Guest Editor.

Timeline:

Submission deadline: April. 16, 2025

First notification:  July 18, 2025

Submission of revised manuscript:  August 30, 2025

Notification of the re-review:  October 12, 2025

Final notification: November 2, 2025

Final paper due: December 02, 2025

Publication: January 2026

Guest Editors:

Dr.Muhammad Zunnurain Hussain (Main Guest Editor)

Bahria University Lahore Campus, Pakistan.

Email: Zunnurain.bulc@bahria.edu.pk, muhammadzunnurainhussain@gmail.com

Short Bio:

Muhammad Zunnurain Hussain is an accomplished academic and researcher specializing in Computer Networks, Information Security, IoT Security, Cloud Computing, and Machine Learning. Currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Bahria University Lahore Campus, he has been a part of the institution since 2017, contributing significantly to teaching and research.

With over a decade of teaching experience, Zunnurain began his career as a Lecturer at Sharif College of Engineering & Technology (2015-2017), later advancing to Senior Lecturer at Bahria University (2017-2019), and eventually to his current role.

He holds a Master of Science in Computer Networks from the University of Bedfordshire, UK (2014) and a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication Engineering from the University of Management & Technology, Lahore (2011). His academic journey began at Garrison Boys High School, where he developed a strong foundation in science.

Zunnurain’s research interests align with emerging technological advancements, making significant contributions to academia and innovation in his fields of expertise.

Dr.Sushank Chaudhary

Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.

Email: sushankchaudhary@gmail.com, sushank.c@chula.ac.th

Short Bio:

Dr. Sushank Chaudhary
Affiliation: Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Dr. Sushank Chaudhary is an accomplished researcher and academician specializing in autonomous vehicles, photonic radars, spatial division multiplexing, free space optics, and visible light communication systems. He is currently associated with Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Dr. Chaudhary earned his Ph.D. from Universiti Utara Malaysia and previously worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2018–2020).

With over 65 publications in SCI, Scopus-indexed journals, and international conferences, Dr. Chaudhary is a recognized expert in his field. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and has delivered keynote speeches at major events like the Technology Transfer Summit (China) and IEEE SPIN 2020 (India).

Dr. Chaudhary’s expertise spans radio and cellular communication, photonics, optics, optoelectronics, lasers, and nonlinear optics. He has contributed to several prestigious research projects and served as a peer reviewer for leading journals, including Optics and Laser Technology and Annalen der Physik. In 2019, he received the Elite Talent Award from the Jinjiang Government, China.

Dr.Mohd Izuan Hafez Bin Ninggal

Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia

Email: mohdizuan@upm.edu.my

Short Bio:

Dr. Mohd Izuan is a lecturer at the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Deakin University, Australia (2015). His research focuses on security and privacy, with several publications in respected journals and conferences.

Has a strong academic background, including a Bachelor of Software Engineering (2004) and a Diploma in Computer Science (2001). He is currently supervising a master's student and continues to contribute to advancements in his field.