Daily Times

Almost a decade since their entry to the scene and the hype around collaborative robots or “cobots,” as they are fondly referred to, has not died down. One would argue that they are the hottest thing in industry robotics going into 2022 as industry 4.9 takes shape.

There is a lot to anticipate in 2022 in cobot technology. This is a short, simplified guide for those new to the technology.

What Exactly Is a Cobot?
The term cobot is a compressed, almost playful version of “collaborative robots” or “collaborative robotics.” Cobots are essentially everyday industry robots primarily designed to work alongside human operators. Instead of taking over factory floors and jobs, cobots help humans do the heavy lifting in otherwise traditionally human-centric work environments.

Why Collaborative Robots?
If you are in robotics or an industrialist in the traditional sense, you would be questioning why anyone would want robots that also need human operators. Indeed, industrial robotics is essentially meant to reduce or eliminate human labor. Industries with heavy reliance on industrial robotics invest heavily in solutions that remove humans from the picture.

To understand and appreciate the need for cobots and why they have taken the industry by storm, you need to think outside the traditional industrial environment. Cobots allow businesses and industries where traditional industrial robotics has not touched to automate. These are industries where human input is still essential for the production process.

An excellent example of a sector that has heavily deployed collaborative robotics is warehousing and logistics. Generally, warehousing operations still rely on human labor for essential day-to-day tasks such as sorting, identifying items, labeling, relocating items, packing, etc. These operations are still out of reach of traditional fully automated industrial robots that are not as versatile as humans.

Cobots in warehousing and logistics allow workers to do a lot more by heavy lifting and eliminating errors in day-to-day operations. All the worker needs to do is use the robots in very versatile ways to do tasks faster more efficiently. For instance, you may find robots that allow workers to identify items in complex e-commerce warehouses, pick items, label, sort and move them around.

Traditional industrial robots are usually relatively rigid and not versatile enough to handle everyday tasks in complex operating environments. Most are designed to handle one or two tasks- like painting vehicle parts- repeatedly. Cobots are much more versatile yet so much simpler in making and operating.

Are Collaborative Robots/Cobots Cheaper?
Yes, cobots are way cheaper than industrial robots in terms of initial and running costs. A cobot is a simple robot designed to be used in conventional workspaces. Most cobots are small, easily programmable, and cheap to buy and maintain. They do not require expensive fencing like traditional robots and consume much less power.

SMEs and individual innovators have been the drivers behind the collaborative robotics wave. Most of them have found it much easier and more attractive to purchase these robots and integrate them into their working environments.

Think of small machining shops, food processing SMEs, e-commerce warehouses, and startups creating new products from scratch; these are the entities purchasing collaborative robots. Today, even an individual innovator can easily purchase a cobot or robot arm and start using them immediately. They are widely available, relatively affordable, and easy to integrate into any workspace.

Are Cobots Safer to Work With?
Collaborative robots are built to be safe since they have limitations in terms of speed and force. Some feature smart sensors that detect when a human gets too close to their working area, preventing impact injuries. However, some experts argue that collaborative robots do not need to be safe, mainly when deployed in potentially hazardous scenarios such as welding.

Besides pointing to the fact that cobots are meant to work with humans, the term collaborative also encompasses safety. It would be impossible to make an industrial robot primarily made to do the heavy lifting collaborative if it is not safe. As such, cobots are relatively safe by design and mode of operation.

Safety features you will find in all modern collaborative robots include:

1. Safety stop- A software and hardware feature that prevents accidental impact from the moving parts of a cobot when it is in a shared workspace. Safety stop ensures the cobot stops whenever it senses a breach of its safe operating radius that could lead to injuries.
2. Speed Restrictions-Moving parts such as revolving motors are speed redistricted so that human operators can work with them safely. Of course, the type of setup also comes into play as far as speed is concerned. Some cobots are not speed restricted but have safety stops to prevent injuries.
3. Safety design guidelines- All cobot manufacturers use ISO 10218 and technical specifications RIA TS 15066. These standards and guidelines specify how a cobot functions, performs and how it should be assembled to guarantee safety in collaborative environments.
4. Hand guiding safety- Sometimes, operators need to breach the cobot’s safe working radius to teach it how to do a range of functions through guiding. It is required that operators have complete control over the robot when they switch it to teach mode for safety reasons. When a robot is in teach mode, it is guaranteed that there is no safety threat to the operator either by sudden motion or error.

Are Cobots Easy to Program and Operate?
Modern collaborative robots can be simple to program and control, both in terms of hardware and software. Getting a traditional industrial robot up and running takes hours and hours of high-level specialist procedures and configurations. Cobots come with custom software that is intuitive and uncomplicated so that anyone can program them.

In terms of operation, you will find that using a cobot is much easier than using traditional robots. Cobots are designed to be used in non-traditional industrial environments where ordinary workers interact with them to do tasks. Some can be controlled using simple hand movements or hand-guided to do specific tasks using a sequence of steps. Others have simple touch interfaces, remote controllers, and AR input devices that workers can use to control them as they wish.

Collaborative Robots and Increased Productivity
After a few years in use, studies have shown that cobots increase productivity in traditionally human-dependent working setups. Think warehousing operations and other areas where many tasks had to be done at the pace of human laborers. Cobots have significantly increased productivity when used for routine and mundane tasks like sorting and packing items.

Are Cobots Replacing Human Labor?
From several case studies where cobots are used, findings are that cobots reduce the need for human labor and increase efficiency rather than replace it. For instance, previously, where ten or more workers were needed to accomplish a task, only one or two are now needed with the help of a cobot. Cobots take a different approach to automation by including humans in the equation and achieving similar efficiency levels to traditional robots.

A lot lies ahead in 2022 in the field of collaborative robotics. It is predicted that costs will come down as focus shifts to SME solutions which must be affordable. This is your year if you think about automating in 2022 as an SME.