Effects of pace on productivity and physical and mental workloads in a human–cobot collaboration

Objectives. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) represent a prevalent global occupational health concern, primarily associated with high biomechanical solicitations, mental workload and work pace. Although cobots have shown promise in reducing risks of MSDs, a question of interest still persists as to how the pace in hybrid human-machine collaboration will affect the operator, in terms of both physical and cognitive health and the production.Methods. This study aimed to analyse the impact of pace on productivity, operators' posture and mental workload in a human-cobot collaboration. The study, involving 20 participants engaged in a collaborative task with a cobot under three cobot-led paces, assessed productivity rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) scores (posture), dual task performance (cognitive resources) and NASA task load index (NASA-TLX) scores (workload).Results. The findings revealed that an excessively high pace had counterproductive effects, leading to reduced efficiency and increased susceptibility to MSDs, both in terms of physical and mental workloads.Conclusion. In the context of a human-cobot collaboration, it is imperative to adapt the pace to operators' abilities in order to ensure optimal productivity while preserving their health, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to pace management in such collaborative work scenarios.