RoCoPen: A Pen-Based Human-Robot Interface Supporting Workflows in Industrial Settings

Industry 5.0 prioritizes human-robot collaboration and focuses on leveraging the complementary strengths of both humans and robots. Successful collaboration depends on intuitive, user-friendly human-robot interfaces that support the interaction between workers and industrial robots and integrate seamlessly into existing workflows without disrupting manual tasks. This paper introduces the Robot Collaboration Pen (RoCoPen), a pen-based human-robot interface designed for industrial environments. The technology was developed using a user-centered design approach, which involved a contextual inquiry, a workshop with end users, and feedback from design experts during the prototyping phase. An evaluation study with 17 participants in a factory lab setting highlighted the workflow integration, usability and ergonomics, and suggestions for further pen-based interface development. Findings demonstrate that RoCoPen supports fluent, focused, and transparent workflows while reinforcing workers’ sense of control in human-robot collaboration. Our work demonstrates the potential of pen-based human-robot interfaces to enhance collaborative industrial workflows in line with the principles of Industry 5.0.