The Evolution of Robotics and Digital Transformation in Industry 5.0

Industry 5.0 represents the next evolution in the manufacturing sector, where collaboration between humans and intelligent machines is intensified. Unlike Industry 4.0, which focuses on automation and the use of digital technologies like IoT and Big Data, Industry 5.0 emphasizes the synergy between human creativity and skills with the precision and efficiency of machines. This approach seeks to create a more personalized production environment, where workers can interact and cooperate with collaborative robots, known as cobots, to improve product flexibility and quality, while also promoting a safer and more ergonomic work environment, as shown in Figure 1.

Furthermore, Industry 5.0 focuses on sustainability and social responsibility, aiming to balance industrial production with environmental and social well-being. The factories of the future will not only be smarter but also greener, adopting practices that minimize waste and reduce the carbon footprint. The integration of advanced technologies with a human-centered approach aims to create a manufacturing sector that not only meets market demands but also contributes to sustainable and inclusive development, reflecting an evolution where technological innovation is aligned with human values.

Robots are becoming increasingly important in our daily lives, both socially and professionally, performing a variety of tasks in domestic and professional environments, as well as operating autonomous vehicles and contributing to public transportation systems. However, as the field of robotics expands and intertwines with other technologies, it becomes increasingly difficult to establish a widely accepted definition for the term "robot."

The term “robot” was coined by the writer Karel ?apek in 1921 and later popularized by Isaac Asimov. The word means forced labor or unwanted work. The first industrial robot was the Unimate, developed in the early 1960s by George Devol and Joseph Engelberger. Although the patent was Devol’s, Engelberger stood out in the market and became known as the “father of robotics.” However, at that time, robots were not economically viable, a situation that changed in the 1980s.

The definition of a robot used in the international standard ISO 8373 “Vocabulary,” and also by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), is: “a programmable mechanism with a degree of autonomy to perform locomotion, manipulation, or positioning.” According to the IFR, an industrial robot is defined as a “multifunctional, reprogrammable, and automatically controlled manipulator, programmable in three or more axes, which can be fixed or mobile for use in automation applications in an industrial environment.” A mobile robot is defined as a “robot capable of moving under its own control.” In addition to autonomous operation, a mobile robot may have capabilities for remote control. According to Lawrite (2008), the official definition of a robot is a reprogrammable multifunctional manipulator designed to move materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed movements, aiming to perform various tasks. There are several ways to classify robots, encompassing typologies that consider function and application domain, level of anthropomorphism, purpose or task of operation, adaptability to the environment, and degree of cognition and affective resources. Robots can be classified based on their autonomy, function, operating environment, and interactions with Human-Machine Interaction (HMI). Advances in robotics have led to the creation of intelligent robots.

These robots are autonomous AI systems that can collaborate with humans, learning from their operational environment, experiences, and feedback from HMI behavior. This learning capability aims to continuously improve the performance and capabilities of these robots. Intelligent robots are equipped with advanced sensors, software, and algorithms that allow them to perform tasks with a certain degree of autonomy and adaptability. They are used in a variety of applications, from manufacturing and logistics to personal and medical assistance.

Cognitive robots are a subcategory of intelligent robots, but with more advanced information processing and decision-making capabilities, as shown in Figure 2. They use AI techniques, such as machine learning and natural language processing, to interpret, understand, and respond to the environment in a manner similar to humans. Cognitive robots can reason, learn from complex interactions, and even predict future actions based on identified patterns.

While humanoid robots may present only stylized human characteristics, they have an appearance and behavior closer to a real human, at least in technical terms. The appearance of robots is less important than the ease of communication, training to perform specific tasks, and effectiveness in resolving activities. Therefore, design and usability play a crucial role in deciding what types of intelligent robots we want in our homes or workplaces.

In this context, emerging countries have shown resistance to adopting intelligent technologies, which constitutes a major obstacle to universal evolution towards Industry 4.0 (Sharma & Chaturvedi, 2021). However, according to Market Research Future (2024), the market for intelligent robots is expected to increase from $3.69 billion in 2023 to $19.331 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.00% during the projected period. Digitalization offers a route to meet customer demands for more advanced products and services at lower prices, as well as providing a sustainable competitive advantage. Companies leading this digital transformation, called "Digital Champions," stand out by integrating digital capabilities into all aspects of their operations, customers, technology, and people, creating an organizational environment that maximizes the opportunities provided by digitalization.

Written by Renan Rubim de Castro Souza