Implementing human-robot collaboration in the production environment of the manufacturing industry in Latvia

Abstract

The concept of human-centred automation has the potential for direct physical and cognitive collaboration between humans and robots in a shared workspace. This approach changes the dynamics of existing conventional automation in the working world. The fact that the market and research are pushing consistently in the direction of Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) is also highlighted by the numbers, which show how the collaborative robot market will reach $ 12.71 billion by 2030. Research goal: To research the possibilities of implementing Human-Robot Collaboration in the production environment of the manufacturing industry in Latvia. Research methods: secondary data analysis and survey. Data processing methods: ranking and frequency analysis. Main findings: The frequency analysis revealed key HRC applications such as assembly, material handling, and quality control in the Latvian manufacturing industry. The most significant challenges were training and investment costs, while the most impactful solutions were outsourcing expertise and providing employee training. Cross-tabulation results confirmed a substantial relationship between HRC implementation and age, gender, and working experience.