Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40014403›Full record

ArticleJMIR human factors2025

The Impact of Human-Robot Collaboration Levels on Postural Stability During Working Tasks Performed While Standing: Experimental Study.

Daniele Bibbo, Giovanni Corvini, Maurizio Schmid, Simone Ranaldi, Silvia Conforto

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR human factors, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Daniele BibboDepartment of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Via Vito Volterra, 62 - Corpo B, Roma, 00146, Italy, 39 0657337298.ORCID 0000-0003-1341-5427
Giovanni CorviniDepartment of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Via Vito Volterra, 62 - Corpo B, Roma, 00146, Italy, 39 0657337298.ORCID 0000-0001-9057-577X
Maurizio SchmidDepartment of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Via Vito Volterra, 62 - Corpo B, Roma, 00146, Italy, 39 0657337298.ORCID 0000-0003-3380-6994
Simone RanaldiDepartment of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Via Vito Volterra, 62 - Corpo B, Roma, 00146, Italy, 39 0657337298.ORCID 0000-0002-7849-0893
Silvia ConfortoDepartment of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Via Vito Volterra, 62 - Corpo B, Roma, 00146, Italy, 39 0657337298.ORCID 0000-0001-7323-5220

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The integration of collaborative robots (cobots) in industrial settings has the potential to enhance worker safety and efficiency by improving postural control and reducing biomechanical risk. Understanding the specific impacts of varying levels of human-robot collaboration on these factors is crucial for optimizing cobot use. Objective: This study aims to investigate the biomechanical effects of different levels of human-robot collaboration on postural stability and control during simulated working tasks. Methods: A total of 14 participants performed simulated cashier working activities under 4 different collaboration modalities, with increasing levels of cobot assistance: full (Fu), half robot touch (HRT), half robot (HRb), and full robot (FRb). Center of pressure trajectories were extracted from 2 force plates' data to calculate 4 posturography parameters-mean distance (MDIST), mean velocity (MVELO), 95% confidence ellipse area (AREA-CE), and sway area (AREA-SW)-which were analyzed to assess the impact of cobot intervention on postural control. Results: Nonparametric tests showed significance in the effect of the collaboration modalities on the 4 analyzed parameters. Post hoc tests revealed that FRb modality led to the greatest enhancement in postural stability, with a reduction in MDIST (4.2, SD 1.3 cm in Fu vs 1.6, SD 0.5 cm in FRb) and MVELO (16.3, SD 5.2 cm/s in Fu vs 7.9, SD 1.1 cm/s in FRb). AREA-CE and AREA-SW also decreased significantly with higher levels of cobot assistance (AREA-CE: 134, SD 91 cm² in Fu vs 22, SD 12 cm² in FRb; AREA-SW: 16.2, SD 8.4 cm²/s in Fu vs 4.0, SD 1.6 cm²/s in FRb). Complete assistance of the cobot significantly reduced interindividual variability of all center of pressure parameters. In FRb modality, as compared with all other conditions, removing the weight of the object during loading or unloading phases caused a significant decrease in all parameter values. Conclusions: Increased cobot assistance significantly enhances postural stability and reduces biomechanical load on workers during simulated tasks. Full assistance from cobots, in particular, minimizes postural displacements, indicating more consistent postural control improvements across individuals. However, high levels of cobot intervention also reduced the natural variation in how people balanced themselves. This could potentially lead to discomfort in the long run. Midlevel cobot assistance modalities can thus be considered as a good compromise in reducing biomechanical risks associated with postural stability at the same time granting a satisfactory level of user control.

Indexed as

Postural BalanceRoboticsStanding PositionAdultBiomechanical PhenomenaFemaleHumansMaleTask Performance and AnalysisYoung Adultbiomechanical riskcobot assistancecollaborative robotergonomicshuman-robot collaborationpostural control

Identifiers

PMID40014403
PMCPMC11884379

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.