What Are Collaborative Robots?

Key takeaways

Collaborative robots combine safety features and technology, allowing them to automate tasks while working safely alongside humans. Here are some important facts to know:

• According to Glassdoor, a robotics software engineer can earn a median total pay of $151,000 per year [1].

• Collaborative robots work with humans in many industries, including manufacturing, health care, construction, and agriculture.

• You can begin your journey towards a career in robotics by earning a degree in software engineering.

Discover more about collaborative robots, including how they work, contribute to workplace safety, and assist in manufacturing. If you’re ready to explore some of the skills that will help you in the robotics industry, enroll in the Meta Back-End Developer Professional Certificate, where in as little as eight months, you can learn about Python programming, data structures, computer programming, and more.

What are collaborative robots?

Collaborative robots, also known as cobots, are industrial robots designed to work in partnership with humans without the need for safety barriers between the worker and the robot. While standard industrial robots require specific safety mechanisms, developers build cobots with safety features such as slower speeds and sensors designed to halt the machine's actions if it comes into contact with a person or object. 

Cobots are a cost-effective and user-friendly option for companies across various industries and of differing sizes to implement as a means for enhancing production, efficiency, and product quality. You might find cobots in economic sectors such as manufacturing, health care, law enforcement, construction, and agriculture. For example, if you are an individual working in law enforcement, you can remain safe while controlling a cobot as it disposes of a bomb or helps with hostage negotiations.

How do collaborative robots work?

Cobots operate using a blend of control software, machine learning (ML) algorithms, and sensor inputs. A few foundational components that make up cobots are arms, tools such as grippers and tool changers that enable the cobot to interact with objects, sensors, user interfaces, and software systems. Explore the parts of a cobot and how each one works in more detail.

Arm(s)

Typically, the feature that stands out the most on a collaborative robot is its long arm capable of reaching out to accomplish a task. You can have either a single-armed cobot—usually for confined spaces—or a multi-armed one that can perform complex jobs as if it were a human with two hands. The cobot’s arm contains joints and can function like that of a human to complete tasks requiring precision and endurance. For example, if you are manufacturing electronics, cobots are capable of assembling fragile parts and conducting precision tests.

End effectors

End effectors are the components at the end of the arm that allow the cobot to touch and interact with objects in the surrounding environment. Basically, you can consider the end effectors the “hands” of the cobot. Grippers and process tools are two types of end effectors. Grippers are the most common type and can grasp objects, making them helpful in tasks such as tending machines, picking up objects, setting them down, and packing them. A process tool end effector actually completes the work, a few examples being welding, machining, and painting.

Sensors

Humans and other objects may be present in the cobot’s environment, so these machines contain advanced sensors that can recognize workers and items to avert accidents, injuries, and collisions. Additional sensors and tools cobots utilize for safety are force sensors, proximity sensors, vision systems, and emergency stop buttons.

User interface

Typically, you can purchase a cobot that already contains a user-friendly interface, which means you’ll typically need minimal training and no programming skills to operate the machine. Cobots often come with user interfaces, such as teaching pendants or graphical user interfaces (GUIs). A teaching pendant allows you to train the cobot by using a hand-held device to guide it through the task initially. Then, it will remember those instructions and be able to replicate them on its own. A GUI provides you with drag-and-drop functions and straightforward visual navigation.

Software systems

A cobot’s control system contains several key components: an operating system, a programming environment, motion control software, and advanced software systems, which use ML to enhance the cobot’s functionality over time. 

Python and C++ are two programming languages commonly used to program cobots. Cobot programmers often choose Python because of its simplicity and versatility. Even with fewer lines of code, you can still develop intricate scripts capable of performing a variety of tasks. With C++, cobots can perform in real-time, which is critical if the applications for your cobot require exact timing and precise execution. Other cobot programming languages include Robot Operating System (ROS), C, and Java.

What is the difference between robots and cobots?

While cobots are designed to work safely alongside humans and perform a variety of low-volume tasks, traditional robots, also known as industrial robots or non-collaborative robots, work at high speeds and handle heavy loads for mass production. For safety reasons, traditional robots are not designed to operate alongside humans.

Human-robot collaboration in the workplace

Humans and collaborative robots work together in many industry workplaces such as manufacturing, health care, construction, and agriculture. Explore how cobots contribute to the workplace in more detail:

• Manufacturing: Cobots can identify flaws in products and remove those products from the assembly line. Other potential functions are testing circuit boards, loading pallets, applying paint, or fastening small objects.

• Health care: Cobots contribute to laparoscopic surgeries by increasing the accuracy of incisions. You can also use cobots for orthopedic procedures that require precision, such as bone drilling and cutting.

• Construction: Cobots can accurately weld support beams for new structures. These machines can also lay bricks and pour cement.

• Agriculture: A cobot built with artificial intelligence (AI) can assist in harvesting and pollinating operations. For example, when it comes to strawberries, a cobot can understand the difference between the plant’s flower and its fruit, which means it can identify the flower for pollination and the fruit when it is ripe.

Read more: What Is Artificial Intelligence? Definition, Uses, and Types

How do collaborative robots enhance workplace safety?

Collaborative robots feature several enhancements for workplace safety, including collision avoidance sensors, force and torque sensors, proximity sensors, and force-limiting capabilities. Learn more about these cobot safety features:

• Collision avoidance sensors: This safety feature stops the cobot from crashing into a human or an object.

• Force and torque sensors: These sensors measure the amount of force the cobot applies while in use, allowing it to adjust its strength, especially when meeting unexpected resistance from an object. The sensors can also detect the amount of force being applied to the cobot, allowing it to adjust accordingly.

• Proximity sensors: The cobot can detect humans or objects within its vicinity using infrared or ultrasonic waves.

• Force limiting capabilities: Built into the cobot is a threshold for resistance, so when it reaches that limit, it either stops or reverses its motion.

Collaborative robots in manufacturing

In the manufacturing industry, safety features enable collaborative robots to operate in human workspaces without causing injury. For example, within the automotive industry, if a cobot is transporting an object with sharp edges, it will move slowly while remaining aware of the human workers surrounding it. A few other applications for cobots in manufacturing include tending machines, handling materials, quality inspection, and welding. For example, in terms of machine tending, which can be repetitive, a cobot can operate the machine, load it, and unload it, allowing a human worker to focus on more valuable jobs. As a result, utilizing cobots for machine tending can enhance your overall production.

How do collaborative robots differ from traditional industrial robots?

Cobots and industrial robots have several key differences: One significant differentiator is that, while cobots can work and share spaces with humans, industrial robots operate in an isolated environment. Other differences between the two include:

What are 3 types of robots?

Three types of robots are autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and articulated robots. 

Careers and skills in collaborative robotics

A few careers related to cobots include cobot programmers, robotics technicians, and robotics integrators. Cobot programmers design the software that dictates the cobot’s actions, while a robotics technician typically maintains the cobot and troubleshoots any issues. When an organization decides to incorporate cobots, a robotics integrator figures out how to integrate the cobot into existing manufacturing systems. Another potential role involving cobots that you might pursue is a robotics software engineer. 

Fortunately, you can earn a good salary as a robotics software engineer, as Glassdoor reports a median total annual pay of $151,000 for this role [1]. This figure includes both base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other forms of compensation.

Skills for working with cobots

A few skills you will need to develop to work with cobots are programming, algorithms, data structures, ML, and core robotic principles. Other important skills that will help you succeed in your robotics career include a strong foundation in math and science, effective teamwork, complex problem-solving, creative thinking, and active learning. Finally, if you’ve decided working in robotics is the right career path, you may want to begin by earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, robotics engineering, or a related field.

Keep up with trends and job opportunities in robotics

Join Career Chat on LinkedIn to stay current regarding trends and job opportunities in the robotics industry. Check out these other free resources:

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• Learn the terminology: Python Glossary: Essential Terms and Definitions

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