HUMAN-MACHINE INTERFACES IN INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS: ENHANCING SAFETY AND THROUGHPUT IN SEMI-AUTOMATED FACILITIES

Abstract

This study systematically examined the role of human–machine interfaces (HMIs) in enhancing safety and throughput within semi-automated industrial systems, applying the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to ensure methodological rigor. A total of 112 peer-reviewed papers were reviewed, encompassing empirical investigations, simulation studies, and field-based analyses from diverse industrial domains including manufacturing, logistics, and energy systems. The findings reveal that HMIs have evolved from basic control panels and analog displays into integrated socio-technical infrastructures that directly shape operator performance, system safety, and production efficiency. Across the reviewed studies, a strong consensus emerged that cognitive engineering principles, such as alignment with perceptual limits, workload management, and support for accurate mental models, significantly reduce operator error rates and improve decision-making. Safety-centered design was identified as a mature research area, with rationalized alarm systems, standardized emergency procedures, and compliance with international safety standards shown to decrease overload and strengthen hazard response. Equally, operational performance was consistently linked to HMI quality, with interfaces enabling stable cycle times, faster recovery during abnormal situations, and integration of lean practices such as setup reduction and error-proofing. The evidence also highlights the growing role of HMIs in human–robot collaboration, supervisory control, and trust-building, demonstrating that transparency and clear communication enhance safety and coordination in shared workspaces. Additionally, HMIs are increasingly recognized as cyber-physical security nodes and organizational learning tools, capturing incident data, supporting feedback loops, and embedding continuous improvement into daily operations. By synthesizing insights across cognitive, safety, operational, and organizational domains, this review positions HMIs as strategic infrastructures that harmonize human adaptability with technological consistency. The results underscore that the effectiveness of semi-automated facilities is inseparable from the quality of their interfaces, making HMI design and refinement a decisive factor for both resilience and competitiveness in modern industrial systems.