A multi-dimensional human factors evaluation of exoskeleton and adaptive cobot use in automotive assembly

Assistive robotics are increasingly adopted in manufacturing to support human work. In automotive assembly, confined spaces and takt-time constraints mean technological support affects biomechanical, cognitive, psychosocial, and organisational dimensions of work. This paper presents a multi-dimensional evaluation of an upper-limb exoskeleton and a proximity-aware cobot through two studies: a focus group with automotive practitioners addressing safety, trust, acceptance, and implementation barriers, and an experimental study with workers performing assembly tasks. The technologies were assessed independently and in combination, combining objective posture and performance indicators with subjective measures of workload, usability, comfort, trust, and acceptance. While each technology reduced biomechanical load alone, their combined use yielded no additive benefits and introduced cognitive and coordination costs that offset physical gains. Findings emphasise the importance of multi-dimensional evaluation when integrating assistive technologies in automotive assembly.