Robotics and related technologies are central to the ongoing digitization and advancement of manufacturing. In recent years, a variety of strategic initiatives around the world, including "Industry 4.0" introduced in Germany in 2011, have aimed to improve and connect manufacturing technologies in order to optimize production processes. In this work, the authors study the changing technological landscape of robotics and "internet-of-things" (IoT)-based connective technologies over the last 8-10 years in the wake of Industry 4.0. The authors interviewed key players within the European robotics ecosystem, including robotics manufacturers and integrators, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and applied industrial research institutions and synthesize our findings in this monograph. The author first detail the state-of-the-art robotics and IoT technologies they observed and that the companies discussed during our interviews. They then describe the processes the companies follow when deciding whether and how to integrate new technologies, the challenges they face when integrating these technologies, and some immediate future technological avenues they are exploring in robotics and IoT. Finally, based on their findings, the authors highlight key research directions for the robotics community that can enable improved capabilities in the context of manufacturing.

Ensuring human safety is one of the most important considerations within the field of human-robot interaction (HRI). This does not simply involve preventing collisions between humans and robots operating within a shared space; we must consider all possible ways in which harm could come to a person, ranging from physical contact to adverse psychological effects resulting from unpleasant or dangerous interaction. A Survey of Methods for Safe Human-Robot Interaction organizes and summarizes the large body of research related to facilitation of safe human-robot interaction. It describes the strategies and methods that have been developed thus far, organizes them into subcategories, characterizes relationships between the strategies, and identifies potential gaps in the existing knowledge that warrant further research. By creating an organized categorization of the field, A Survey of Methods for Safe Human-Robot Interaction is intended to support future research and the development of new technologies for safe HRI, as well as facilitate the use of these techniques by researchers within the HRI community.