A Comparative Study of MR-Based Hand Gesture Control and Teach Pendant Programming for Improving Human-Robot Interaction in Manufacturing

Manoli, Elena; Mattera, Giulio; Nelea, Luigi; Marzano, Adelaide; Caggiano, Alessandra

Abstract

As manufacturing transitions from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0, technologies such as collaborative robots (cobots) and extended reality (XR) are fostering more human-centred production environments. This study evaluates a gesture-controlled mixed reality (MR) interface in comparison with a traditional teach pendant for programming a collaborative robot in a laser cleaning task. Seventeen participants—both experienced and novice users—completed the task using both approaches. Questionnaire results showed that the MR system reduced task completion time by over 80%, regardless of the operator’s prior experience. Furthermore, the MR interface was rated as more intuitive, less physically demanding, and easier to use than the conventional teach pendant and freedrive programming methods commonly employed with cobots. While performance with the traditional method varied significantly between user groups, the MR interface enabled consistent results across all participants, indicating its accessibility and usability. These findings underscore the potential of MR technologies to enhance efficiency and inclusivity in intelligent manufacturing systems.

Citation

Manoli, E., Mattera, G., Nelea, L., Marzano, A., & Caggiano, A. (in press). A Comparative Study of MR-Based Hand Gesture Control and Teach Pendant Programming for Improving Human-Robot Interaction in Manufacturing. Procedia CIRP,

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 20, 2025
• Deposit Date: Jun 27, 2025
• Journal: Procedia CIRP
• Electronic ISSN: 2212-8271
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed