The creation of cobots came about in the year of 1995 when an idea was tabled to create robots that were safe enough to be placed not just in the same working environment as human beings but also to work side by side with them. It is safe to say that this might be the only difference between an ordinary robot like a manufacturing robot for instance, and a collaborative robot.
It seems though that there are still quite a number of people who are torn when it comes to choosing the right robot to use between an ordinary one and a collaborative one. This kind of indecisiveness probably comes from the fact that they may not really understand fully exactly how cobots work and the idea behind them. Therefore, below are some ways in which you can be able to make a choice just in case you are among those people who may not seem to be able to decide on what kind of robot to choose.
Collaborative robots are quite flexible
Much unlike the traditional industrial robots which would require a high level of expertise when it comes to programming, it is very easy to program a collaborative robot. This is because it is modern and it comes with modern appliances which helps users to find it much easier to operate the cobot. As a matter of fact, some cobot models even come with the features that allow them to learn independently.
The learning can take place in a number of different ways, for instance by mimicking the movements of a human as he does a certain task, or by the use of a graphic user interface to give the robot instructions, as opposed to the normal way of coding which is a much longer process. This way, employees can use the cobot for many different tasks since they can easily reprogram it.
Safety with collaborative robots
Collaborative robots are specially designed to thrive in a human environment. Therefore, they are much safer to work with because of the safety components that come built in them. These safety components include sensors which issue warnings to the robot in case it gets near humans, so that it does not pose any danger to them. This is a good thing because it takes away the need to put up safety fencing and closed off areas for safety.
In addition, the fact that collaborative robots usually have artificial intelligence means that they can learn how to keep humans safe on their own without any need of human input. They can therefore work seamlessly with the human workers.
Working one on one with humans
Yet another thing that is great about collaborative robots is that they are able to be paired up with humans to work as a team. Traditional industrial robots usually work in a specific scheduled way which they cannot defer from, and most of the time they are placed in a closed off place with restricted access.
Meanwhile, collaborative robots have the ability to not just work alongside a human, but also help them out by doing things such as handing out tools to the working human who may be doing a more complicated task.
Collaborative robots take up the risky jobs
Adding on to the list of the things that make collaborative robots good to work with is the fact that they can actually take over tasks that may otherwise have been dangerous to a human. Therefore, they are able to give humans relief from risky activities. These activities include the transportation of hot or sharp items and dangerous bolting work.
Because of this, humans get the opportunity to focus on the more important jobs that need their precision and skills, rather than spending time in doing the more arduous aspects of the production chain. It also means that there will be far less accidents that occur in the work place.
