Meet the cobots: the robots who will be your colleagues, not your replacements
0Reported today on TheNextWeb
For the full article visit: https://thenextweb.com/syndication/2019/12/30/meet-the-cobots-the-robots-who-will-be-your-colleagues-not-your-replacements/
Meet the cobots: the robots who will be your colleagues, not your replacements
The latest industrial robots look like petting zoo versions of the big machines found in many modern factories – small, cute, and you can play with them. But don't be deceived by their cuddly appearance. They have the potential to change the way humans work with machines and disrupt the existing market for industrial robots.
The big difference with this new generation of robots is that they don't have to operate in closed-off areas. Instead they can safely operate alongside and even collaborate with human workers. For this reason, these machines are often called collaborative robots or "cobots."
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Fully automating a factory isn't always desirable because modern manufacturing companies need flexibility to quickly alter their processes for a variety of products and customization. Instead, manufacturers in such contexts are increasingly looking for automation with a human touch.
This is where cobots can come in. Even if full automation with larger, faster industrial robots is more efficient, cobots can allow factories to increase their output while retaining a degree of flexibility.