Human robot collaboration in warehousing operations: a sociotechnical analysis

Warehouses are responsible for managing inventory levels, handling order fulfillment, and preparing items for transportation, and their efficiency determines logistics performance. Over the last few decades, warehouses have been integrating robotic solutions to enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs. However, the impact of these technologies on human workers and overall system performance remains underexplored, especially considering that human-robot systems are sociotechnical systems, where humans and robots interact with each other and work together to achieve a joint outcome. This study therefore systematically reviews existing literature on human-robot collaboration (HRC) in a warehouse context using a sociotechnical lens, employing the framework developed by Neumann et al. (2021), to map interactions between technology, tasks, human factors, and outcomes. Our findings indicate that robots can alleviate physical workload, but that they also introduce challenges related to mental and psychosocial factors. We identify research gaps related to humanoid robots and economic evaluations of robot introductions. By adopting a sociotechnical lens, this work provides insights for researchers by summarizing the state-of-the-art of HRC in warehouses and pointing out research gaps. In addition, it provides important insights obtained in research that can be considered in managerial decision-making, helping practitioners in optimizing HRC in warehouses by balancing human and machine strengths.