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About

Arie Adriaensen is a leading researcher in human-robot collaboration (HRC) and industrial safety, with a particular focus on the socio-technical dimensions of collaborative robot (cobot) deployment in workplace settings. His work bridges systems engineering, cognitive ergonomics, and safety science to address one of modern manufacturing's most pressing challenges: how humans and cobots can work together effectively and safely. Adriaensen's most influential contribution, "Teaming with industrial cobots: A socio-technical perspective on safety analysis" (2021, 70 citations), challenged the prevailing technology-centric approach to cobot safety, advocating instead for systems thinking methodologies that account for human and organizational factors. This perspective has since anchored much of his subsequent research, including applications of Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) and joint cognitive functional frameworks to real-world cobot environments, from manufacturing floors to robot-assisted warehouse management. With over 140 cumulative citations across five highly focused publications, Adriaensen has established himself as a critical voice urging industry and researchers alike to look beyond mechanical safeguards. His work reveals why cobot adoption has lagged behind expectations and offers practical, holistic frameworks to close that gap — making his scholarship essential reading for engineers, safety professionals, and human factors researchers navigating the future of automated workplaces.