Blog Feed

In general ”A cobot or a co-robot (collaborative robot) is a complex machine which works hand in hand with human beings. In a shared work process, they support and relieve the human operator”. Unlike traditional industrial robots, which require specialized programming skills, some cobot models even learn independently and are designed to work seamlessly together with their human colleagues. They are very advantageous because they are easy to program, fast to setup, flexible and safe.

Advances in computing power and robotic technology along with a smaller price tag, an average of $24,000 each, make cobots a realistic option for small-and medium-sized businesses. Now the benefits of advanced robotics are available to these companies to help them compete with larger manufacturers.

IMPACT:

The more dirty, dull and dangerous tasks cobots can take over from humans, the more opportunity people will have to take on higher-level or creative functions. Cobots being capable of:

Power and force limiting: When a power and force limiting cobot senses something abnormal in its path, it can stop all movement or reverse movement if necessary to avoid impact

Safety monitored stop: This operation allows a cobot to work independently, but when a human needs to intervene, the cobot will sense the presence of the human and stop all motion until the worker has left the safety zone.

Speed and separation monitoring: Similar to the safety monitored stop, the cobot operates in a safety zone. Rather than stop when it senses someone has entered the safety zone, it can slow down and track the location of the human. If the human gets too close, it will stop.

Cobots along with the above tasking also perform beneficiary tasks such as performing repetitive tasks which increases general productivity, reducing costs, error free task completion, handling heavy loads.

The growing awareness of collaborative systems means they certainly have a bright future and real, rewarding benefits.