A review of optimization models and applications in robotic manufacturing systems : Industry 4.0 and beyond

In this review paper, recent developments in robotic problems are cited. A robotic manufacturing system includes at least a robot- as a material handling device-, a co-worker with human or autonomous robot, and some other relevant systems. Due to the lack of a thorough analysis and listing of recent robotic articles which apply optimization techniques, this paper, thus, aims to report an extensive archive of robotic papers on a structured classification for robotic problems for the first time which includes robotic cell, robotic disassembly, and robotic assembly from 2005 to September 2021. Descriptive statistics are also provided which include the number of publications as well as the authorship analysis and as a final point, future trends towards the robotic studies are introduced. Moreover, the review shows that, heuristic or metaheuristic algorithms are the most frequently used tools to solve the robotic application problems. The author hopes that this review will open new windows in theoretical and applied studies of robots and establish a foundation for robotic problems in industry.