Designing for diversity : a feminist technoscience and behavioural fabrication approach in human-robot collaboration education for Industry 5.0

Abstract

This research addresses the gap between technical advancement and human factors in human-robot collaboration (HRC) education for digital fabrication. Current pedagogical approaches predominantly focus on technological capabilities while neglecting critical aspects of user diversity, accessibility, and contextual adaptability essential to Industry 5.0 implementation. We present a human-centered HRC design methodology integrating feminist technoscience (FTS) dimensions with behavioural fabrication techniques. The framework consists of three components: (1) an FTS framework and framework to guide and evaluate HRC design; (2) a cyber-physical system enabling real-time sensor-driven robot behavior; and (3) a modified Double-Diamond Approach (DDA) that systematically guides students through creative processes, for iterative design. The methodology was tested through a four-day workshop with graduate architecture and engineering students, who developed four distinct HRC workflows incorporating voice control, gesture recognition, computer vision feedback, and multilingual interfaces. Using the FTS rubric, we observed that students were able to translate abstract concepts-such as user diversity, agency, and bias-into concrete design decisions, despite limited prior experience in robotics or feminist critique. These outcomes suggest that the integrated approach effectively supports students in addressing practical HRC challenges while remaining attentive to the social and ethical dimensions of automation. This work contributes a reproducible methodology for preparing future practitioners to design HRC systems that are technically robust while remaining responsive to user needs, thereby advancing the transition from Industry 4.0 to 5.0 priorities. This paper opens with a theoretical foundation situating Industry 5.0 goals within human–robot collaboration (HRC) in construction and introduces feminist technoscience (FTS) as a critical framework. Chapter 2 presents the state of the art in HRC research in prefabrication and construction, and the researchers’ previous work: an FTS framework and behavioural fabrication. The following chapters 3 and 4 describe the research’s objectives, and outline a methodology integrating the FTS framework with behavioural fabrication through a modified Double-Diamond Approach (DDA). Chapter 5 describes the workshop used to test the methodology, culminating with our research hypotheses. In chapter 6, the resulting student-developed HRC workflows are described and evaluated using the FTS framework. This paper concludes with a discussion of methodological insights in Chapter 7; design implications, and future directions for inclusive HRC education and practice in chapter 8.