The evolution of man–machine interaction: the role of human in Industry 4.0 paradigm

ndustry 4.0 is a new paradigm in the manufacturing world and it has deeply changed the Human–machine interaction. This paper focus is on the nature of this interaction, which is made possible thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT), and Cyber-Physical System (CPS). These Industry 4.0 key technologies are studied related to the standard Deming cycle, in order to underline the importance of Human–machine interaction. The Fourth Industrial Revolution involves several changes in the workforce’s key features. In this paper, a new perspective based on the centrality of humans is given in the new Industry era. The importance of the human factor will be deeply studied through the implementation of the ‘Sand Cone Model’. A new framework is proposed in order to explain the quality measures addiction on the workforce quality skills, and how it engraves on improving efficiency and effectiveness of an industrial process.