Perception, assessment and enhancement for operators in human-centric manufacturing cells: An ergonomics-oriented systematic review

As a concrete pathway toward the realization of Industry 5.0, human-centric manufacturing (HCM) seeks not only to improve the efficiency of human-in-the-loop production systems, but also to promote the long-term well-being and sustainable development of workers. In manufacturing cells, operators remain indispensable for task execution, flexible decision-making and human–robot hybrid intelligence, particularly under high-mix and dynamic production conditions. From an ergonomics-oriented perspective, this paper systematically reviews recent advances in operator-related perception, assessment, and enhancement methods in HCM cells. Specifically, the real-time monitoring approaches for operators covering physiological sensing and motion capture are investigated, as well as the assessment of potential risks, workload, and fatigue accumulation from physiological, psychological, and cognitive perspectives. Furthermore, the applications of four enhancement pathways within manufacturing cells are discussed, including ergonomic design, extended reality-based assistance, exoskeletons, and safety control. Finally, the empirical challenges and research directions are identified for future developments. This work is expected to attract more open discussions and in-depth research on the improvement of well-being and efficiency for manufacturing operators in the new industrial revolution era.