{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,27]],"date-time":"2026-04-27T17:21:09Z","timestamp":1777310469036,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,18]],"date-time":"2021-02-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1613606400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"NORTE-59-2018-41 and Regional Operational Programme of the North 2020","award":["NORTE-06-3559-FSE-000018"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NORTE-06-3559-FSE-000018"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Safety"],"abstract":"<jats:p>One of the key interesting features of collaborative robotic applications is the potential to lighten the worker workload and potentiate better working conditions. Moreover, developing robotics applications that meets ergonomic criteria is not always a straightforward endeavor. We propose a framework to guide the safe design and conceptualization of ergonomic-driven collaborative robotics workstations. A multi-disciplinary approach involving robotics and ergonomics and human factors shaped this methodology that leads future engineers through the digital transformation of a manual assembly (with repetitive and hazardous operations) to a hybrid workstation, focusing on the physical ergonomic improvement. The framework follows four main steps, (i) the characterization of the initial condition, (ii) the risk assessment, (iii) the definition of requirements for a safe design, and (iv) the conceptualization of the hybrid workstation with all the normative implications it entails. We applied this methodology to a case study in an assembly workstation of a furniture manufacturing company. Results show that the methodology adopted sets an adequate foundation to accelerate the design and development of new human-centered collaborative robotic workstations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/safety7010014","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,18]],"date-time":"2021-02-18T21:59:58Z","timestamp":1613685598000},"page":"14","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":52,"title":["Physical Ergonomic Improvement and Safe Design of an Assembly Workstation through Collaborative Robotics"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"7","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1138-1534","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana","family":"Colim","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Associa\u00e7\u00e3o Laborat\u00f3rio Colaborativo em Transforma\u00e7\u00e3o Digital\u2014DTx Colab, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Carlos","family":"Faria","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Associa\u00e7\u00e3o Laborat\u00f3rio Colaborativo em Transforma\u00e7\u00e3o Digital\u2014DTx Colab, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Cunha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Associa\u00e7\u00e3o Laborat\u00f3rio Colaborativo em Transforma\u00e7\u00e3o Digital\u2014DTx Colab, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7676-1581","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Associa\u00e7\u00e3o Laborat\u00f3rio Colaborativo em Transforma\u00e7\u00e3o Digital\u2014DTx Colab, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Nuno","family":"Sousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Human Engineering, Production and Systems Department, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7219-1518","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lu\u00eds A.","family":"Rocha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Associa\u00e7\u00e3o Laborat\u00f3rio Colaborativo em Transforma\u00e7\u00e3o Digital\u2014DTx Colab, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"229","DOI":"10.3233\/WOR-203144","article-title":"Ergonomic Intervention on a Packing Workstation with Robotic Aid-Case Study at a Furniture Manufacturing Industry","volume":"66","author":"Colim","year":"2020","journal-title":"Work"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ergon.2015.02.002","article-title":"Participatory Ergonomics Intervention for Improving Human and Production Outcomes of a Brazilian Furniture Company","volume":"49","author":"Anzanello","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int. 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