Worker Stress During Human-Robot Collaboration in Manufacturing: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The increasing integration of collaborative robots into industrial environments has transformed work processes while introducing new challenges for worker well-being and safety. This PRISMA-guided systematic review identified primary stressors in industrial human-robot interaction (HRI), analysed their physiological, emotional, and cognitive consequences, and mapped effective mitigation strategies.Three databases were used (Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCO) and asensitivity analysis was conducted, which confirmed the robustness of the evidence base. Technical factors (robot speed and unpredictability), organizational aspects (excessive monitoring and poor ergonomics) and psychosocial factors (uncertainty, deskilling, fear of error) significantly elevated stress levels. Adaptive interfaces, virtual reality training, and psychophysiological monitoring effectively reduced stress and enhanced well-being. However, laboratory-based studieswith small samples limit generalisability, necessitating validation in real-world multicultural industrial contexts.The integration of human-centered and adaptive solutions is essential for sustainable and healthy collaborative environments in Industry 5.0. This review employs the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model as an analytical framework to structure the existing literature and categorize stressors and mitigation strategies.