Intuitive Interaction Between Humans and Robots in Work Functions at Industrial Environments: The Role of Social Robotics

The social dimension of worker–robot interaction in industry is becoming a decisive aspect of robotics development. Many problems and difficulties of robotics research are not only related to technical issues but are framed by social aspects. Human–robot interaction (HRI) as a specific research field of robotics tackles this issue of intuition. One of the aims is to identify relevant research questions about the possibility of the development of safer robot systems in closer human–machine intuitive interaction systems at the manufacturing shop floor level. This chapter will contribute to understanding the cognitive and perceptual workload for robot operators in complex working systems. The importance of robotics in work life is not only to decrease the physical strains in manufacturing, but also it can increase the need for situation awareness and risk assessment which implies higher perceptual workload and psychological strains.