Gamification in manufacturing: some insights in human–robot collaboration assembly and preliminary results

Abstract The application of gamification in manufacturing remains largely unexplored, despite its proven benefits in fields such as education and business. By incorporating game-like elements such as points, challenges and storytelling into real-world tasks, gamification has the potential to improve both performance and user engagement, even in manufacturing environments. This paper explores the feasibility of applying gamification to human–robot collaboration (HRC) assembly processes. Using two different approaches—standard gamification (using points and challenges) and narrative gamification (incorporating storytelling for deeper engagement)—two case studies were conducted to assess the impact of gamification on workers’ performance, well-being and emotional engagement. Preliminary results show that (i) narrative gamification significantly reduced frustration and increased immersion, leading to a more engaging experience for participants, and (ii) standard gamification contributed to the development of a well-paced and structured process, without significantly enhancing emotional engagement. By highlighting the feasibility of gamification in HRC assembly, this study lays the groundwork for future research into more immersive and dynamic gamification strategies in manufacturing.