Guest editorial note: Special issue on human-robot collaboration in industrial applications

Focusing on these challenges, this Special Issue in Mechatronics aims at providing an up-to-date overview of recent advanced solutions that can significantly promote HRC in industrial scenarios, with an emphasis on the mechatronic aspects related to the design of integrated systems, knowledge sharing between human and robots, modelling and simulation of interaction and safety countermeasures. The central theme of the Special Issue is the development of systems, methodologies, and new concepts for crossing the gap between laboratories and reality that will help foster the adoption of human-robot collaborative solutions to real-world industrial applications.