Vision systems for robots can dramatically improve their performance and efficiency in various settings. Robots without vision are limited to simple, repetitive tasks that cannot be modified easily without reprogramming. Robots with vision perform with much greater flexibility, able to respond to the added visual context.

Determining the right robot vision system for the right industry application, however, can turn into a complicated task. Industry manufacturers should access these criteria in helping them decide.

2D vs 2.5D vs. 3D Vision

Imaging requirements depend on the complexity of the task at hand. 2D robot vision is flat, measuring length and width, but not height. 3D measures all three, as well as rotational information around all three axes.

Not all industrial applications might require 3D, however. For instance, a 2.5D robot vision system might be sufficient for flat operational surfaces, as long as the robot can calculate distances between objects with the necessary precision. 

It has taken extensive, decades-long research to achieve one of 3D’s major benefits, like bin picking. Robotic grip development and anti-collision programming have increased the precision of this task tremendously. Today’s software systems accompanying true 3D vision systems can also measure and calculate with pixel point precision at much faster speeds than 2D systems.

Lens Selection

Robot vision system needs good quality imaging to make the crucial visual measurements that guide robot or collaborative robot movement. Lens optical quality as well as the accompanying camera sensor are very important in determining the kind of image that is produced.

One must look into lens resolution, sensor size, and pixel size, and ensure the lens does its job in illuminating the sensor area properly and creating sharp, high fidelity images that enable the robot to do its job safely, quickly, and efficiently.

Visual Performance Criteria

When determining the system needed for vision tasks, manufacturers ought to consider what kind of visual process will be handled. Does the robot need to detect color differences? Is the job inspecting for quality and spotting defects? The level of precision of the vision system depends on questions of this kind and more.

Software and hardware integration

Machine vision integration into a company’s existing production facilities is a serious consideration, not just from the point of view of hardware design, specification, and integration with existing production systems. Software systems integration is also a concern. Fortunately, newer robot systems have taken the complexity out of this, requiring less programming and training skills for setup and operation.

Choosing the right system

Robot and cobot vision systems have become invaluable in many industries – from classic sectors like agriculture, food, and automotive, to aerospace engineering, electronics and surveillance, as well as wide-spectrum packaging, inspection and measurement tasks that are necessary in many industries.

Work with expert robot vision camera manufacturers who can design an industry specific solution for you, contact Techman Robot today.

The International Data Corporation (IDC) has predicted a new era in Global Digital Transformation (GDX). As a leading collaborative robot and smart vision brand and manufacturer, at Techman Robot we have brought a series of solutions for smart manufacturing upgrades to the Taipei International Industrial Automation Exhibition. We provide TM AI+, a software solution that fully Integrates TM Robot with vision system and AI technology, TM Palletizing Operator, an intelligent palletizing system that integrates both software and hardware, and TMmanager, a smart factory software that drives digital transformation by managing production data effortlessly.

TM AI+

Techman Robot has successfully developed the TM AI+ system using the advantage of built-in vision – the industry’s first-ever integration of traditional machines and advanced AI vision in a single robotic system. Without the need for additional controllers, the manpower, time, and money required in past integration have been considerably reduced. The built-in machine vision of TM Robot integrates with light, industrial cameras, and sensing elements to capture images. The deep learning technology of AI is also combined in order to accurately sense the shape, type, and color of an object as a means to further enhance inspection efficiency and difficulty in automated production, improving the quality and accuracy of inspection in different industries.

TMmanager

Techman Robot has always striven to assist different sectors in achieving automated production for smart factories through virtual integration, IoT, intelligent equipment, and robotic applications to build a smart factory that is highly applicable and functional. The capabilities of our smart factory management – TMmanager – launched by Techman Robot are as follows:

1. The data collection and monitoring system provides customers with real-time factory equipment management and monitoring of equipment status
2. Control over the manufacturing site enables collection of manufacturing data and provides full traceability
3. The user-friendly interface allows easy data processing and can be customized as required
4. Real-time production status allows the operator to grasp first-hand production information

TM Palletizing Operator

The TM Palletizing Operator is an operating system unit exclusive to intelligent palletizing. With built-in guiding software, it assists users to easily set up the pallet specification, carry out palletizing simulation and collision testing beforehand, and shorten the duration of pallet setting from three months to half a year to five minutes. In addition to being certified by CE, and 13849-1, the intelligent palletizing complete solution of TM palletizing is the first intelligent palletizing system module to obtain the ISO10218-2 international third-party safety certificate in Taiwan. It can be applied to warehousing, logistics, food, and manufacturing amongst other industries.

TM 3D Compact

TM 3Dvision is the latest launched vision function with an external 3D camera. An extended new function based on the vision node function in TMflow and there’s no need to install or learn new software, all function and settings can be done on TMflow and no vision controller needed. There are 3 methods provided to matching the objects, by:

1. Importing a CAD model
2. Choosing a basic geometric shape (Sphere, Cylinder, Box..etc.)
3. Using a 3D camera to build the model

There are multiple shapes of objects to handle and flexible programming with TMflow and it can cooperate with the built-in eye-in-hand vision to complete the work. It provides a collision detection function via importing the scene model to program the application.

AR Collaboration with FTV

The innovative collaboration with FTV combines our Techman robot collaborative robotic arm and AR camera alignment technology. The robot instantly feeds back the displacement coordinates of the end camera to the virtual camera in the AR scene, simultaneously synthesizing AR 3D, to achieve the effect of virtual reality with precision reaching TV broadcast standards. Meanwhile, FTV news has also used the Techman robot collaborative robotic arm to produce and broadcast programs. For example: In its 2020 Election Prediction Program, the interaction between the anchor and virtual objects allowed news data and charts of the election battle analysis to be presented in a more technological way. When the Techman robot collaborative robotic arm is working with a broadcast-grade camera, it automatically calculates the movement point of the physical camera in order to simultaneously change the AR 3D image.

TM Academic

Techman Robot is dedicated to industry-academia collaboration opportunities and has established TM Academic. TM Academic is a professional education platform that covers all training services, providing comprehensive training courses and automated classroom design from secondary to higher education. Currently, we are planning collaborative robot license and internship opportunities for those who successfully graduate to enforce the integration of industry and academia so that the talents of these professionals are put to good use and enhance future competitiveness. So far, we have collaborated with over 30 universities and colleagues in Taiwan and overseas, such as: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Taiwan Normal University, National Cheng Kung University, National Central University, and National Chung Hsing University. In the future, we will continue to strengthen our commitment to education in Taiwan and expand our dedication to global educational institutions.

Given that global digital transformation is an unstoppable trend, with a series of new solutions ranging from traditional industries to warehousing, electronics manufacturing, and even into film and education, Techman Robot continues to innovative robotics technology and smart manufacturing across all industries.

Contact us today to find out more about our collaborative robots and automation solutions to improve your business.

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What Does Collaborative Robot Mean? Everything You Need to Know About Cobots

Back in the late 18^th century, the First Industrial Revolution was a game-changer for manufacturers and factories. Since then, manufacturing processes and factories have taken advantage of both machines and manpower to maximize productivity. Over time, manufacturers have adapted to the latest technology made to make production faster or more effective and safer to the manpower on the work floor.

And at this day and age of smart technology, AI, and more, manufacturing companies are now welcoming the next big thing for efficient production. Enter: collaborative robots, or cobots. Here’s what you need to know about collaborative robots and what they can do for your production.

What Does Collaborative Robot Mean?

Simply put, collaborative robots are robots that can safely work alongside and with a human. While there are some machines already in manufacturing that require humans for it to operate, cobots interact with a human and work alongside the same step of their production.

Another difference is that collaborative robots are built for safety, so the chances of workplace hazards while interacting with cobots is relatively low. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists 23.5 percent of non-fatal injuries coming from contact with equipment. Collaborative robots are built to reduce the risk of that in the workplace based on how it’s built and operated.

Collaborative robots are made with lightweight materials and constructed to have rounded edges. These can avoid and accidental injuries while handling these robots in the workplace. To make it safer, cobots have a speed and force limit when moving and have sensors to determine key safety features.

Because of their safety features, people in manufacturing can operate directly with cobots rather than the former safety measure of locking robots in cages or rooms to operate to ensure no one gets hurt by their weight or fast movements.

Around five percent of global industrial robot sales are cobots. In 2018, around 14,000 cobots were installed in various industrial centers; in 2017, this was only 11,000. This may not seem like a lot on a global scale, but the industry was valued at $580 million and expected to reach near the tens of billions by 2024. But for now, that means collaborative robots account for roughly five percent of industrial robots all around the world. Given the increase, the demand is expected to rise in 2019 and 2020.

Collaborative Robot Origins

Collaborative robots were invented in 1996 due to an initiative that began two years earlier. In 1994, Prasad Akella of the General Motors Robotics Center, later with a General Motors Foundation research grant in 1995, wanted to find a way to make robots and people work safely together. The first collaborative robot was invented in 1996 by Northwestern University professors J. Edward Colgate and Michael Peshkin and patented a year later.

The first collaborative robot had no internal power source that could move on its own. To make it safe, it was the human that had control over its power. Back then, it wasn’t called collaborative robots or cobots, but “Intelligent Assist Device.”

Colgate and Peshkin would go on to create their own company, Cobotics, to produce the first cobots used in the manufacturing industry. They were used in an automobile company’s final assembly line. The company was bought by Stanley Assembly Technologies in 2003. Since then, other companies have gone on to develop different types of collaborative robots to meet the demands of various industries.

Collaborative Robot Applications

The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) classifies robots into two types: robots used in manufacturing, and those used for domestic and professional purposes. Most collaborative robots fall under the first types.

Like other machines used in manufacturing and industrial uses, collaborative robots have different applications depending on factors like their adaptability, size, mobility, and safety features. This helps streamline the process of producing manufactured foods by using machines to make certain processes faster, also known as the concept of automation.

Humans can do most of the tasks in a production line, but many robots today were invented to do certain tasks faster and more efficiently. However, while studies suggest that around 8.5% of manufacturing positions will be automated by 2030, there are just some tasks that require both human and robots. Given that a lot of robots’ processes aren’t safe to work with humans (e.g. sharp metal edges, fast movement, machine temperature), there’s a growing need for cobots.

Collaborative robots are mostly used in logistics (moving and carrying heavy loads), manufacturing (assembly, welding, painting), and industrial purposes, but they’re also used for other applications. Cobots can be used by consumers or for public use such as serving as information robots or serving as moving security patrol in guarded facilities. This takes care of the more minor steps to production and operation and making it faster for human labor to handle the more complex processes robots can’t do (for now, at least). Some of their tasks include:

• Full logistics process – picking, sorting, and packing goods, avoiding injuries associated with heavier loads or dealing with dangerous products that have safety risks.
• Quality control – collaborative robots can work for a prolonged period of time with consistent performance while minimizing human error. This ensures a standard level of quality on the manufacturer’s part.
• Machine tending –cobots can replace human workers in repetitive and potentially dangerous work of loading and unloading parts from a milling, brake press, CNC, plastic molding, or other machines. Also improving production capabilities such as product output, quality, and consistency.

Like ordinary industrial robots, collaborative robots can work both on its own, before, or after a human finishes their task, or alongside a human.[/vc_column_text][vc_video title=”Quality control of a SSD production line using cobot to help run performance tests” link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVnFT9audks”][mk_padding_divider][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1582780501241{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

Collaborative Robots for Manufacturers

Robots have become a ubiquitous feature in manufacturing, especially in established corporations and large companies looking to streamline their operations, make their processes more efficient, and reduce costs on manual labor. However, this puts small to medium enterprises at a disadvantage because they couldn’t afford the costs of building and coding their own robots.

This is why collaborative robots have become a major game-changer in the manufacturing industry. A business with the resources can opt to create their own cobots from scratch, but for the most part, collaborative robots are becoming an actual product in the B2B market. Robotic companies that produce cobots provide the materials and coding, making it more accessible to smaller businesses.

This makes it easier for smaller businesses to begin automating some of their processes. Without automated processes, some of the more menial and back-breaking jobs are left to human labor, which can not only be demotivating but also put a business’ people at risk for both injuries and long-term effects on the body.

Benefits of Automation with Cobots

• Advanced automation with reduced costs
  • Cobots give manufacturers for medium-sized businesses access to advanced automation without the high costs of programming and constructing robotics that may still post a safety risk to human labor within the manufacturing process. Collaborative robotsare also easierto program than traditional robots, lowering coding efforts from your employees.

• Flexibility
  • Collaborative robots are generally smaller and more portable than traditional robots, so they can have multiple purposes throughout the production line without any hassle transporting it. Aside from their hardware, their programming can also be considered flexible, so cobots can be repurposed for different uses.

• Safety
  • Collaborative robots are designed with humans’ safety in mind, so they can be work right next to humans without the risk of injury. They can move slower when necessary and apply less force, which makes them less of a risk in a manufacturing center.

Robot Vision System

Some cobots are built with sensors and cameras, with at least one mounted on its robotic arm serving as its “eye”. This set-up allows a cobot to have a sort of “vision system” and get as much visual data as needed to perform certain tasks with humans.

A cobot’s camera takes 2D or 3D scans of the object, which is then stored in its database. When a cobot detects that it’s holding the same object, it can be triggered to perform the appropriate task. Once complete, it can be installed on an assembly line.

A robot vision system has three parts. While this may seem like a long process, the entire thing takes place within less than one second.

Image Capture

The collaborative robot captures footage of an object within its line of sight, depending on how the assembly line is structured. After it starts to capture visual data from a certain calculated distance, the cobot will analyze the images, and enhance it for a clearer picture to work with.

Image Processing

After the images have been captured and saved into the collaborative robot’s database, it will be processed and analyzed down to the last pixel. Its artificial intelligence is responsible for comparing colors, shapes, and anything to connect it to the images programmed in the database.

Connectivity and Response

Once the machine recognizes and matches the object based on the pictures saved onto its database, it will perform the corresponding action pre-programmed.[/vc_column_text][vc_video title=”TM Robot performs an automated optical inspection of electronic components on the conveyor with its built-in vision system” link=”https://youtu.be/9v5WRg0VaIU”][mk_padding_divider][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1582536099736{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

Robot Vision AI Benefits

One of the advantages of having a collaborative robot is its camera allows it to have a “vision.” And, with its artificial intelligence, it is possible for a collaborative robot to do a number of things using its vision.

Increased Efficiency

Just because a collaborative robot operates based on the images it’s saved does not mean its process is too restrictive to create different designs. Programming a cobot’s AI vision means that the scope can be tweaked to allow for different designs and variations of a product as long as some of its features are similar. This is ideal for products that have different colors or styles but the same shape and size.

Ensure Product Consistency

Ensuring consistency for all items in the production line can be exhausting for human workers, since this means one person checking multiple items for consistency throughout the entire production process. This is extremely repetitive, and even then the task may be prone to human error. Cobots, however, can do the same task over and over without the strain or faltering quality over time.

Increased Reliability

Compared to other robots that do not have AI or robot vision, collaborative robots are generally more reliable because they’re not going at their tasks blindly. They’re basing the process of their operations based on saved visual data and how the object they’re working with looks. If something doesn’t look up to par, they can skip that object, saving time, quality, and resources (why waste raw materials on something that doesn’t measure up quality-wise?) while also issuing quality control on products.

Safe Working Environment

Robots move at directions and speeds they were programmed to move. Ordinary robots do not have safety measures, so it cannot detect if something is in its way unless that object is strong enough to stop it. This means that if a human accidentally got in the way of its operations, that robot won’t stop, which could be dangerous for the human involved, hence the reason why regular robots are kept away from human workers.

In comparison, collaborative robots are built with safety in mind. Their sensors and cameras can detect obstructions blocking their way, which make them stop or slow down. This makes them much slower in a productive sense, but much safer if you’re looking to decrease the risk of on-site accidents in the production line.

Reduced Operating Costs

A collaborative robot is a major investment for your business. This is in terms of time saved, higher productivity, consistent product quality, and higher employee morale. These can all contribute to lower operating costs.

Collaborative robots are paving the way for streamlined, efficient, and consistent products off the production line. In a time where technology is available to improve your operations, why settle for the chance of human error or the risk of your employees getting injured or burned out from menial everyday tasks that technology can handle safely and efficiently?

Contact Techman Robot today to find out more about our collaborative robots and automation solutions to improve your business.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1578031357815{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]With the rapid advancement of technology, especially for manufacturing, experts are suggesting that the world is undergoing the fourth industrial revolution or industry 4.0. The first one happened in the late 1700s when companies started to use intuitive machines to enhance their productivity and reduce manual labor. Examples of these instruments were cotton spinners for textiles and steam engines for agriculture and transportation.

The second one involved the expansion of electricity and petroleum industries, and the third was all about digital solutions like computers and robots. These shifts happened decades apart, so what is industry 4.0 and why is it happening just several years after the latest revolution?

A Smart Factory

Industry 4.0 tech focuses on making manufacturing equipment like computers and robots more intelligent and interconnected than ever through artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and a lot of data. Here’s what they mean and how they turn your plant into a smart factory.

• Artificial Intelligence – Also known as AI, artificial intelligence is the use of machines like computers to simulate human processes like reasoning, learning, moving objects, and problem-solving. You may be familiar with an AI already if you use your smartphone’s voice assistant or smart speakers like the Amazon Echo. In manufacturing, AI is often used to control collaborative robots or “cobots,” which are designed to help human workers take on repetitive tasks such as inspecting, picking, and placing items.
• The Internet of Things – The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network where various devices, like smartphones, machines, computers, and even light bulbs, can send data and commands to each other. Think of a smart home where you can control your appliances and view their energy usage using only your phone or tablet. For your production floor, you can purchase equipment with special sensors that track the machine’s performance and overall health in real time.
• Cloud Computing and Storage –With the amount of data you’ll be collecting from your operation every day, a couple of hard drives won’t be enough. Creating a server room that’s managed by IT experts costs too much for some owners. Cloud service providers help you store your files and data on their secure servers.

Not only will it eliminate the need for storage hardware, but it also lets you access your documents from anywhere using a computer or a smartphone.You may harvest insights from this data and turn them into reports using a cloud-based business intelligence solution.

Intelligent Benefits

AI, IoT, and cloud services all provide features that make it easier for you and your workers to create quality products. In fact, about 29% of businesses in the United States use AI regularly in their business processes. And about 77% of corporations in the country are using at least one cloud computing application. So, what are the benefits of having a smart factory?

• Better Maintenance–Because your machines will be equipped with tools that measure their performance, you’ll be able to see which units may have technical difficulties. It allows you to send them in immediately for repairs, or replace them temporarily before they cause bottlenecks in your operations.
• Better Quality of Goods –Smart factory technology, like AI-powered collaborative robots,help take human error out of repetitive tasks. With their precise arms and solid programming, these bots can take on tasks like packing, soldering, and inspecting every day without making mistakes. They don’t get distracted, and they don’t need to take breaks to function well. In turn, you’ll create products with better and more consistent quality.
• Better for the Budget – Although you may have to shell out cash to set up your smart factory, you’ll save more in the long run. Return, refund, and servicing requests all negatively impact your bottom-line. Since you’ll be delivering products at a much more consistent quality, you’ll likely receive fewer complaints from customers. With smart factory automation software, you can also create a real-time inventory tracker, which helps you forecast the number of materials you’ll need for the next cycle. It eliminates the need to overstock materials. You only buy what you need.
• Better for Workers–Smart factory devices like collaborative robots take care of the more tedious and sometimes risky work for your employees. It may minimize the number of injuries related to repetitive work on the production floor, like back pain, sprains, tendonitis, and arthritis. And because they’ll be using automated forms and sheets, tasks like keeping inventory and quality monitoring is a breeze. The extra time your workers will have because of automation can be used for upskilling, as well. This way, they’ll be doing tasks that require creativity – a trait that no robot can ever replicate.
• Better for the Environment –Your smart technology may decrease the waste your factory creates, too. Because you’ll make fewer mistakes with an automated assembly line, you’ll also throw out fewer rejects. And with a digital system, you can minimize – or eliminate – your company’s dependency on paper.

The Bottom Line

Smart technology enables you to create informed and intelligent decisions for your manufacturing business. With a digitalized data dashboard of all your factory equipments, you can take care of mechanical problems before they even arise. A cloud-based business intelligence platform can help you gather gigabytes of data from a month or year’s work and analyze them to find out which parts of your chain maybe causing slowdowns. You can then turn that data into a report to present in strategy meetings.

When you upgrade your facilities, you also improve your workers. Automation frees them up from menial tasks and gives them the chance to take on more challenging and rewarding work.

Industry 4.0 in manufacturing is not just about automation. It’s about taking the abundance of technology and analyze the data available to us to improve our products drastically,and to enrich the well being of our workers on the assembly line. And with technologies like cobots, cloud services, and smart devices like tablets becoming cheaper to buy and easier to use, the question is not if, but when you’ll join the fourth industrial revolution.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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What are Collaborative Robot Applications: Robots Are Intelligent, Collaborative Machines

When you think of a robot in a manufacturing plant, you may visualize collaborative robot applications, such as a sizeable mechanical arm assembling car parts or a device that fills hundreds of food packages every few minutes. These are called industrial robots, which are fully automated to do specialized tasks like pumping, packing, labeling, and more.

But they’re often isolated, working on their own or with their fellow robots. This is because they operate at a fast rate, which may harm humans that come near them. Sometimes they’re seen as a threat to human jobs, taking over manual work that people used to do.

However, a new breed of machines, known as collaborative robots, is starting to rise in the market, which is specially made to work closely with humans. What does “collaborative robot” mean?

What are Cobots?

Collaborative robots, or “cobots” are robots that are intended to work hand-in-hand with human beings.  These machines focus on repetitive tasks, such as inspection and picking, to help workers focus more on tasks that require problem-solving skills.

Since they operate next to people, they work at a more manageable speed and cobots are also designed to stop immediately when a person makes any contact with them. This allows them to operate safely around human operators according to the 4^th criteria of safe collaboration.

Cobots work alongside humans, improving processes through the three E’s: Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Enhancement. They augment the quality of human work, performing intelligent automated tasks that are data, strength, endurance, or precision-related in nature.

If anyone still asks what cobots are used for, they form part of the future of industrial automation: automation with a human touch. In the future, manufacturing will focus on cobot-assisted flexible processes and customization, both of which are extremely valuable in industrial assembly.

Apart from safety, here are other advantages of having a cobot on your production floor.

• A Breeze to Set Up – Unlike their industrial-grade big brothers, cobots are often compact and simple to operate. Setting them up requires little to no programming experience. As such, training your employees to use and program them will be a breeze. Some companies even deploy fully-functional cobots in just weeks. This is compared to industrial bots that need experts to customize and take months to set-up for everyday use.
• Versatile – Cobots are designed to take on different kinds of tasks. As long as you have the suitable end effectors, you can program packing bots to take on labeling or inspecting jobs in just a few minutes. Some cobots are even made to be mobile, so you can easily transfer them to help out another station. They operate much more straightforward than their industrial counterparts, which need extensive changes done to their software and hardware to be repurposed.
• Empowers Employees – Repetitive motions are the leading causes of injury like hernias, carpal tunnel syndrome, and back pain. Back injuries and discomfort were cited in almost 39% of work-related musculo skeletal disorders in the American workplaces in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Cobots can easily take over repetitive manual work for employees. Not only will workers be freed to do more creative tasks, but they’ll also file fewer sick days from workplace injuries.

A Wide Range of Applications

The collaborative robot market is expected to reach a value of over $11.8 billion in 2030, according to analytics firm ABI Research. This is an enormous jump from $711 million in 2019. This optimistic projection comes from the rise in the number of collaborative robot applications across different industries. Not only are big companies utilizing the power of these machines; small and medium businesses too are also buying units for their own manufacturing. Here are some of the industries that make the most out of cobots.

A Hit in Manufacturing

The versatility of cobots has made them a hit in the manufacturing industry. They serve a variety of functions on the production floor. These include:

• All in the Right Place – Cobots can be equipped with cameras or sensors that inspect parts of a product for any defects. They can also be used to measure specific components to ensure that they’re being sorted into the right stream in the assembly line.
• Precise Tool Handling – Cobots are so accurate that companies are using them to handle process tasks like soldering, screwing, and welding. They can perform these tasks day in and day out (and even after hours) without any slow-downs. They make little to no mistakes, too, so you can rest easy knowing your products have consistently good quality.
• A Perfect Finish – Machines can also be outfitted with force sensors that measure the pressure that the bot exerts on items. Equipped with attachments for sanding, grinding, painting, and more, cobots can provide a consistent finish to any product.

What’s great about these tasks is that they can be transferred easily to other cobots as well. There’s no need to recreate or adjust lines of code. Talk about consistent quality!

Loved in Logistics

Cobots are also well-received in logistics, as they help get deliveries out much faster. A significant example of their use in this field would be in the warehouses of e-commerce giant, Amazon. They’re using cobots that not only transfer items from one place to another but also sense the item’s fragility to adjust their grip accordingly. Here are other ways collaborative bots are used in logistics.

• Doing the Heavy Lifting – Mobile cobots can be designated to carry loads through a pre-programmed route. These minimize the need for workers to take heavy boxes by hand or use heavy equipment like forklifts.
• Sealed and Delivered – Like with part inspection, adding cameras to a bot can turn it into an accurate and efficient picking machine. And with a gripper or suction cups, they can form cartons, load items in, and seal boxes. This makes fulfillment much more efficient and accurate.

Cobots are a testament that automation and AI aren’t made to replace humans in the assembly line. Instead, they improve the lives of employees on the production floor. By taking on repetitive tasks, they provide workers with opportunities to take on work that need more creativity than brawn. And because cobots often take on repetitive and sometimes dangerous work, they also keep workplace injuries to a minimum.

The flexibility and safety that cobots provide are why they’re becoming more and more popular with businesses across different industries. And because bots are easy to set up and program, they’re also starting to become a staple in small manufacturing plants. With cobot market values continuing to go up, the future is definitely a collaboration between man and machine.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]