Introduction and Background

I am an Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering at Afeka Academic College of Engineering, and an Associate Editor of the Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing. I hold a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, an M.Sc. from the Technion, and a B.Sc. from Ben-Gurion University. My current research is focused on shaping the future of smart manufacturing including collaborative robotics, digital twins and AI integration. My academic journey spans three decades of impactful work in academia and more than five years in industry. I published over 60 papers in leading scientific journals, and authored several textbooks. I presented my work in more than 100 international conferences and took part in organizing many of them – including one which I chaired. My experience ranges from establishing and heading the Industrial Engineering B.Sc. program at the Open University, to senior roles at FedEx Ground. My work always bridges theory and practice. While my core courses are related to operations management discipline, I recently developed and taught an advanced manufacturing course (on Industry 4.0) and I am working on developing a course on “Deploying AI agent in the workplace”.

I am always looking for ways and opportunities to improve and better shape processes and systems’ operation. Therefore, I am facinated by the potential of new technologies and I strive to find ways to utilize them in the industrial and business world.

Current Research and Projects:

My current research activities span a wide spectrum of domains central to Industry 4.0 and 5.0, with a consistent emphasis on intelligent system design, human-technology collaboration, and AI-powered transformation.

My latest work introduces the Generative Assembly Line Design (GALD) framework, leveraging Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to optimize task assignment, equipment selection, and balancing in complex assembly systems. The GALD methodology aims to minimize lifecycle costs while ensuring ergonomic safety and reconfigurability, positioning it as a future-ready solution in smart manufacturing.

I lead several pioneering studies related to interaction between cillaborative robots (cobots) and humans. One line of research is a collaboration project with Ariel University researchers, where we empirically measures operator stress and cognitive load in cobot collaboration situations, utilizing physiological signals (e.g., HRV) and subjective responses to determine how task type and multimodal cues affect worker experience. Another major study investigates vocal communication between humans and cobots, identifying how auditory interfaces can improve collaboration, free up visual and manual attention, and enhance both productivity and safety.

In parallel, I co-developed a conceptual multi-agent AI training platform to simulate deliberate teaching practices. This framework uses generative AI and LLM-driven virtual agents to model classroom dynamics and mentor-teacher interactions, providing personalized, feedback-rich- environments for scalable, simulation-based teacher development.

Finally, my work on strategic upskilling for manufacturing operators contributes to a future-oriented framework for identifying critical skill domains (e.g., robotics, AI, cybersecurity), aligning curricula with technological shifts, and implementing lifelong learning strategies for workforce resilience.

Collectively, these projects shape the dialogue around human-centric digital transformation across engineering, education, and industry.

Collaborations:

I have rich portfolio of collaborations with researchers in other institutions abroad and in Israel.

  1. A collaboration project between myself, Prof. Shraga Shoval from Ariel University and our doctoral student – Amir Biton – on the effect of human-robot collaborative states on humans has won a mutual Afeka-Ariel research fund of 50.000 NIS. A journal paper we authored is under review,
  2. I am collabirating with Dr. Hila Halutz Ben-Gal (from Bar-Ilan University) on studying the expected changes in future skill requirements based on the technology incessant progress. We published several conference papers already on this subject.
  3. I collaborated in several research project with Prof. Maurizio Faccio from the university of Padova and we coauthored and published several papers together.
  4. I am collaborating with Dr. Shai Rozenes from HIT and we authored and published many papers together, and even edited a research book.
  5. I am collaborating with a portugese partner Prof. Joao Reis from university of Lusofona (in Portugal) on improving efficiency and sustainability in Defense Industries.
  6. I am collaborating with the Technical Committee 5.1 (TC 5.1) on “Plant Control”of the Internation Federation for Automatic Control (IFAC) and I serve as a vice chait in TC 5.1.
  7. I collaborated with Prof. Avi Shtub to co-author together the English textbook “Introduction to Industrial Engineering”.

And there are more…

I see iinterdisciplinary collaboration as essential for synergy and important part of any research crear. Since synergy is built in any interdisciplinary collaboration and since each participanr bring different strength and different specialty to the collaoration table - its benefits are great as the work is always richer and more creative than it would be otherwise. The enduring relationships between researchers are also a great asset.

Innovation and Problem-Solving:

For illustration of my approach I chose to use an example of work done with Dr. Yehudit Aperstein from Afeka. I begin by identifying high-impact real-world problems in need of better solutions—in this case, the lack of effective hands-on classroom experience for trainee teachers. I then explore various solution pathways and zeroes in on the most promising direction, such as simulation-based practice to let aspiring educators hone their skills in a virtual classroom. Before implementing a solution, I rigorously evaluate existing technologies and academic research in the field to build on proven ideas. In this case the idea that AI agents are able to simulate students in the classroom and mentors, and that large language model (LLM) is a viable tool for generating them.

Armed with these insights, I co-developed a generative AI-driven simulation platform that uses multi-agent systems to recreate dynamic classroom scenarios and provide aspiring teachers with iterative, feedback-rich teaching practice. This cutting-edge platform leverages large language model (LLM) agents to simulate diverse student behaviors and even includes an AI mentor agent to deliver real-time feedback, enabling scalable, personalized, deliberate practice in a realistic yet controlled environment.

This is an interdisciplinary innovation that addresses a major challenge in teacher education.

Emerging Technologies:

I find the progress of AI and large language model (LLM) to be really exciting for advancing production manufacturing and services.

To stay updated I continue to follow the rapid developments in AI and LLMs by regularly reading the news about them and reviewing abstracts of promising papers to choose which to read further.

Career Advice:

Be positive and look at the positive sides of whatever you meet. Remember that every adversity or hardship is also an opportunity and a failure is an opprtunity to learn from. Always try to excel and don’t be shy to take the extra mile. Always try to think win/win and understand the context and the root cause of problems before solving them. Use “out of the box” approach to solve difficult problems. Be patient and remember that life and your career is a journy – not a target.

Challenges in Engineering:

The most significant challenges currently facing engineering include rapidly evolving technological landscapes, integration of advanced AI and robotics with human-centric processes, and the ongoing skills gap in the workforce. Engineering must address sustainability demands, digital transformation complexities, and cybersecurity risks inherent in interconnected systems. To tackle these challenges, engineering must foster upskilling and reskilling programs aligned with technological shifts, support continuous interdisciplinary education, and implement robust frameworks for human interaction with automation, such as human-robot collaboration. Additionally, cultivating adaptive and resilient workforce ecosystems and promoting collaborative research between academia and industry will ensure engineering remains innovative, responsive, and socially impactful.

Mentorship and Leadership:

Mentorship is central to research evolution and was natural part in my career: My my best mentor was my M.Sc. advisor at the Technion, Professor Easy Dar-El. He had the mixture of a incredibly deep and broad knowledgeable and strategic thinking, with cheerful disposition and trust in my abilities. It was enjoyable to work with him and at the time I felt I am maximizing my abilities. My Ph.D. advisor was also a very significant and positive mentor that help me through the PhD process and beyond. Mentorship is really important for students that have the abilities but lack the experience and perspective to choose where and how to direct their energies for reaching the best progress.

Leadership in engineering comes from involement initiatives and actions. For example, I was active in IFAC conferences so I took the lead on Intelligent Manufacturing working group and became a vice chair of their Technical Committee 5.1 (TC 5.1) that organize international conferences every year.

I cannot overestimate the importance of Engineering leadership as the world progress depends on it.

Future of Engineering Science:

Engineering science is rapidly evolving towards greater integration of AI, digital twins, and collaborative robotics, significantly reshaping manufacturing, logistics, and service sectors. The transformative potential lies particularly in Industry 4.0 and 5.0, where intelligent systems optimize task assignment, enhance ergonomic safety, and foster seamless human-robot collaboration. Fields such as smart manufacturing, personalized healthcare, and automated transportation will experience revolutionary changes through generative AI, simulation-based platforms, and advanced digitalization techniques. Interdisciplinary research, integrating advanced technologies and human-centric approaches, will drive societal improvements by enhancing productivity, sustainability, and workforce resilience. Ultimately, engineering science will profoundly impact society by enabling smarter, safer, and more sustainable industrial ecosystems.

Papers of Yuval Cohen:

  1. Cohen, Y., Faccio, M., & Rozenes, S. (2025). Vocal Communication Between Cobots and Humans to Enhance Productivity and Safety: Review and Discussion, Applied Sciences, 15, 726. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/app15020726
  2. Aperstein, Y., Cohen, Y., & Apartsin, A. (2025). Generative AI-Based Platform for Deliberate Teaching Practice: A Review and a Suggested Framework. Education Sciences, 15(4), 405.
    https://doi.org/ 10.3390/educsci15040405
  3. Cohen, Y., Shoval S., Faccio M., Minto R.(2022) Deploying cobots in collaborative systems: major considerations and productivity analysis, International Journal of Production Research, 60 (6), 1815-1831.
    doi: doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2020.1870758