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Publication Date: 2303
Publication Type: TUTORIAL
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A cobot, or collaborative robot, is a kind of industrial robot that operates alongside humans in a shared workspace. Unlike traditional industrial robots of the type featured on vehicle assembly lines, for example, cobots are smaller, weaker, and offer no physical threat to the human workers who function with them. In fact, cobots are designed to stay out of the way of their biological partners, using sensors to detect human presence and slowing down or even stopping to prevent inadvertent collisions. Owing to their small size and weight, cobots can be deployed virtually anywhere. They are affordable, easy to program, and ideal adjuncts to small – and even large – manufacturing operations. Recently, the cobot concept has been expanded by some to include digital collaboration via AI-powered programs like ChatGPT.
Report Contents:
Executive Summary
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A cobot, or collaborative robot, is a kind of industrial robot that
operates alongside humans in a shared workspace.
Unlike traditional industrial robots of the type featured on vehicle
assembly lines, for example, cobots are smaller, weaker, and offer no
physical threat to the human workers who function with them. In fact,
cobots are designed to stay out of the way of their biological partners,
using sensors to detect human presence and slowing down or even stopping
to prevent inadvertent collisions.
Owing to their small size and weight, cobots can be deployed virtually
anywhere. They are affordable, easy to program, and ideal adjuncts to
small – and even large – manufacturing operations.
Importantly, cobots, like their large-scale mechanical predecessors, are
perfectly suited to performing monotonous, repetitive, and/or dangerous
tasks, thereby guaranteeing both industrial quality and human safety.
Cobots can be standalone entities or, in some cases, worn by employees in
the form of exoskeletons.1
As reported by WiredWorkers, “The first cobot was invented in 1996 by J.
Edward Colgate and Michael Peshkin. They called the cobot ‘a device and
method for direct physical interaction between a person and a
computer-controlled manipulator.'”2
In the decades since, cobots have become a staple of modern
manufacturing:
- Increasing efficiency
- Lowering costs
- Enhancing product quality and durability
- Lengthening product life
- Improving the productivity of human assets
Capabilities and Benefits
The expert handyman version of industrial robots, cobots are exceeding
versatile, capable of:
Using special-purpose tools to perform routine
manufacturing tasks with precision, such as:
-
- Screwing
- Bolting
- Drilling
- Gluing
- Sealing
- Welding
- Soldering
- Sanding
- Polishing
Assembling products and systems
Loading and unloading supplies
Packaging finished goods
Picking up, moving, and placing objects (“pick
and place”)
Recognizing objects in a bin (via vision
technology), picking them up, and depositing them on a conveyor belt, for
example (“bin picking”)
Stacking boxes on a shipping pallet in a
manner that conserves space and permits optimal loading (“palletizing”)
(See Figure 1.)
Placing parts in a potentially dangerous
device, like a lathe or bending machine, thus avoiding human interactions
and possible injuries (“machine tending”)
Placing objects in testing devices, and
conducting visual inspections (“quality testing and inspection”)3,4
Figure 1. A Palletizer Cobot
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Cooperative Robot
Not to be confused with a cobot, or collaborative robot, another
variation on the conventional industrial robot is the “cooperative” robot.
As described by analyst Yulin Wang, “Cooperative robots [are] industrial
robots with a virtual fence between [their] human operators and
themselves. In terms of … product position, the cooperative robot stands
in the middle of industrial robots and cobots, combining the benefits of
both industrial robots and collaborative robots with the aid of safety
sensors ([typically Light Detection and Ranging, or LiDAR, laser
scanners]).
LiDAR-enabled cooperative robots split the areas around the robots into
three zones that can be described as red, orange, and yellow. When human
operators walk in the yellow zone, the robot operates at full speed and
has the maximum output. When the human operators or objects appear in the
orange zone, the robot will operate at a reduced speed, and if the robot
detects human operators in the red zone, the emergency stop function of
the robot will be triggered, thereby stopping the robot.”
While less safe in absolute terms than cobots, “cooperative robots have
demonstrated both higher working efficiency and a higher level of
human-robot interaction compared with traditional industrial robots and
[cobots].” Cobots may be preferred, however, due to the high cost of LiDAR
technology.5
The ChatGPT Cobot
Returning to our original definition of cobot – a kind of industrial
robot that operates alongside humans in a shared workspace – remove the
adjective “industrial” and ChatGPT, and other generative AI-enabled
chatbots, could reasonably qualify as cobots.
Even if cobot manufacturers reject the classification – I doubt at this
point if anyone has been polled – the future of cobots will include both
physical and digital helpmates; in other words, any collaborative robot
that serves a human being in any capacity will be deemed a cobot, whether
that cobot is aiding a factory worker in loading a shipping pallet, or a
public relations manager in preparing a press release.
Market
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As projected by MarketsandMarkets, the global collaborative robot market
is expected to expand from $1.1 billion in 2022 to $9.2 Billion by 2028,
reflecting a remarkable compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41.5 percent
during the 2022 to 2028 forecast period.6
Growth Factors
Among the factors contributing to rapid cobot growth are:
A high return on investment relative to
present-day industrial robots.
Increasing demand in the E-commerce and
Logistics sectors, initially stimulated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The general utility of cobots in businesses
both large and small.
The documented ease of programming cobots,
which helps reduce any new technology resistance.7
Cobots with a payload capacity up to 5 kilograms are expected to command
the largest share of the market, as customers are drawn to devices that:
- Occupy less space than higher-payload models;
- Are easier to relocate, to satisfy changing work requirements; and, of
course, - Are cheaper, a core consideration for many small enterprise adopters.8
Prominent Players
The cobot market space is served by a variety of vendors, notably:
- Universal Robots (Denmark)
- FANUC (Japan)
- ABB (Switzerland)
- Techman Robot (Taiwan)
- KUKA AG (Germany)
- Doosan Robotics (South Korea)
- Denso (Japan)
- Yaskawa Electric (Japan)
- AUBO (Beijing) Robotics Technology Co., Ltd. (China)
- Rethink Robotics GmbH (Germany)
- Omron Adept Technologies (US)
- Franka Emika GmbH (Germany)9
Of these, Universal Robots is the largest cobot manufacturer in the
world, with a nearly 50 percent market share.10
Applications
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“[Cobots] are designed to fill the gap between
completely automated industrial processes and manual system functioning,
providing the advantages of automation without adding to the complexities
of a completely robotic testing regime.”
– Alberto Borboni, Karna Vishnu Vardhana
Reddy, Irraivan Elamvazuthi, Maged S. AL-Quraishi, Elango Natarajan, and
Syed Saad Azhar Ali11
Cobots are being integrated into manufacturing and production processes
across various industries.
Automotive
Research from MarketsandMarkets reveals that “Collaborative robots are
not only being used by major car manufacturers, but also by numerous OEMs
that supply automotive parts to these car manufacturers. Conventionally,
traditional industrial robots have been employed by the automotive
industry and auto-parts manufacturers to perform high-speed operations
behind cages. But, in recent years, the focus of the automotive
manufacturers is shifting toward light weighting, the trend of
substituting heavy metal parts with plastic to reduce vehicle mass and
create greater efficiency. For this purpose, plastic injection molding
machines are used in the automotive industry, and these machines require
constant tending.”12 Cobots has demonstrated their worth in
aiding production line personnel.
Food
The food industry uses cobots to achieve greater food and worker safety,
particularly since new gripper technology allows the machines to handle
food products directly.13
Plastics
“The plastics industry is characterized by high-mix, low volume
production.” Cobots can be quickly programmed and reprogrammed to
accommodate frequently changing production requirements and processes.14
Metal
Similar to plastics, the metal and machinery industry produces a large
variety of products, but in small numbers. Cobots can be quickly retooled
to satisfy changing designs.15
Electronics
Because they are outfitted with highly-calibrated sensors and other
detection devices, “sensitive” cobots can manipulate fragile components, a
capability required for quality control testing and close inspection.16
Biomedical
“Cobots are … well suited for application in the biomedical sector,
where increasing automation is frequently impractical, yet lab
productivity, security, and information protection are crucial.”17
Pharmaceutical
Understandably, the pharmaceutical sector is subject to rigorous
production standards. With low or no margin for error, cobots make perfect
production assistants.18
Observations and Recommendations
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Better and Cheaper Cobots
Even as cobots become more capable, they are becoming less expensive.
According to one source, the average cost for a cobot in 2015 was $28,000.
By 2025, the price is projected to shrink to $17,500.19
This is good news for cobot manufacturers seeking to enlarge their
customer base. It’s even better news for the owners and operators of small
industrial concerns who can leverage the technology to increase their
productivity and profitability.
Reach and Payload Capacity
To accommodate applications requiring longer reach and higher payload
capacity, a number of cobot manufacturers, including Universal Robots and
Techman Robot, are launching larger models.20 (See Figure 2.)
Figure 2. Universal Robots UR20 – Features a 1750 mm reach
and 20 kg payload capacity
Source: Universal Robots
Parallel Cobot Development Track
While today, cobots are largely valued for their “blue-collar”
contributions to manufacturing and production automation, there is a
parallel track: cobots in “white-collar” knowledge work, like the
aforementioned ChatGPT.
As researchers Konrad Sowa, Aleksandra Przegalinska, and Leon
Ciechanowski observe, “Nowadays, various enterprise bots are designed to
help in knowledge-intensive and creative work. Using advanced natural
language processing, data analytics, specialized knowledge bases, and
other techniques, they can make sense out of unstructured data, build
their knowledge pool and perform selected tasks.
“Enterprise bots are usually custom-built for corporations adopting this
technology, according to their specific requirements. Frameworks used for
this purpose include, among others, EnterpriseBot.ai [and] Microsoft Azure
Bot Service.”21
Partial or Full Automation
The collaborative robot, whether physical or digital, feels like
a transitional technology.
While human workers may tolerate, even welcome, cobots into the workplace
as their assistants, the long-term objective of their bosses – the
business owners, shareholders, and senior management members – will likely
remain full-scale, people-less automation.
In this context, a cobot, which is evolving due to manufacturer upgrades
and AI-enabled self-learning experiences, will emerge as a workplace
apprentice, eventually able to replace its human mentor.
How the human-cobot relationship is perceived by human workers over time
will help determine how, where, and why cobots are deployed in the future.
Web Links
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-
- Franka Emika:
-
- Universal Robots:
http://www.universal-robots.com/
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- US National Institute of Standards and Technology:
-
- WiredWorkers:
References
1 “What Cobots Can Do for Your Business” US National
Institute of Standards and Technology. November 15, 2019.
2 “Cobots.” WiredWorkers. 2023.
3 “What Cobots Can Do for Your Business” US National
Institute of Standards and Technology. November 15, 2019.
4 “Cobots.” WiredWorkers. 2023.
5 Yulin Wang. “What Are Cooperative Robots and Collaborative
Robots?” IDTechEx Ltd. December 14, 2022.
6-9 “Collaborative Robot Market by Component, Payload (Up to
5 Kg, 5-10 Kg, and Above 10 Kg), Application (Handling, Processing),
Industry (Automotive, Electronics, Healthcare, Furniture &
Equipment) and Geography – Global Forecast to 2028.” MarketsandMarkets.
November 4, 2022.
10 “Cobots.” WiredWorkers. 2023.
11 Alberto Borboni, Karna Vishnu Vardhana Reddy, Irraivan
Elamvazuthi, Maged S. AL-Quraishi, Elango Natarajan, and Syed Saad Azhar
Ali. “The Expanding Role of Artificial Intelligence in Collaborative
Robots for Industrial Applications: A Systematic Review of Recent
Works.” The Authors. 2023.
12 “Collaborative Robot Market by Component, Payload (Up to
5 Kg, 5-10 Kg, and Above 10 Kg), Application (Handling, Processing),
Industry (Automotive, Electronics, Healthcare, Furniture &
Equipment) and Geography – Global Forecast to 2028.” MarketsandMarkets.
November 4, 2022.
13-16 “Cobots.” WiredWorkers. 2023.
17 Alberto Borboni, Karna Vishnu Vardhana Reddy, Irraivan
Elamvazuthi, Maged S. AL-Quraishi, Elango Natarajan, and Syed Saad Azhar
Ali. “The Expanding Role of Artificial Intelligence in Collaborative
Robots for Industrial Applications: A Systematic Review of Recent
Works.” The Authors. 2023.
18 “Cobots.” WiredWorkers. 2023.
19 Alberto Borboni, Karna Vishnu Vardhana Reddy, Irraivan
Elamvazuthi, Maged S. AL-Quraishi, Elango Natarajan, and Syed Saad Azhar
Ali. “The Expanding Role of Artificial Intelligence in Collaborative
Robots for Industrial Applications: A Systematic Review of Recent
Works.” The Authors. 2023.
20 “Cobots.” WiredWorkers. 2023.
21 Konrad Sowa, Aleksandra Przegalinska, and Leon
Ciechanowski. “Cobots in Knowledge Work: Human – AI Collaboration in
Managerial Professions.” Journal of Business Research, Volume
125. March 2021:135-142.
About the Author
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James G. Barr is a leading business continuity analyst
and business writer with more than 40 years’ IT experience. A member of
“Who’s Who in Finance and Industry,” Mr. Barr has designed, developed, and
deployed business continuity plans for a number of Fortune 500 firms. He
is the author of several books, including How to Succeed in Business
BY Really Trying, a member of Faulkner’s Advisory Panel, and a
senior editor for Faulkner’s Security Management Practices.
Mr. Barr can be reached via e-mail at jgbarr@faulkner.com.
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