Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC)
How Collaborative are Cobots Really?
Collaborative robots, which do not need a cage and can work directly with humans, are increasingly penetrating the factory halls. But do the so-called Cobots really work in collaboratione there - or do the companies only use a new form of cost-effective automation?
"I estimate that only about 15 percent of Cobot applications currently being installed are 'real' HRC applications, whereas the proportion of HRC applications and customer acceptance of HRC steadily increasing," explains Darius Wilke, Director European Business at Rethink Robotics. "Much more frequently than HRC, however, the current focus is on the automation of processes that could not previously be automated. Because Cobots are cost-effective, automation can also be used where it was previously economically unviable with industrial robots".
Helmut Schmid, General Manager DACH & Benelux of Universal Robots, estimates the proportion of really collaborative Cobots to be somewhat higher: "I assume that 20 to a maximum of 30 percent of all applications are collaborative," he explains. "Many applications are only coexistent: The robot operates without a protective enclosure or fence, but does not really work with humans. Many applications are cooperative in some areas: For example, humans and robots cooperate through a viewing window."
Like Darius Wilke, however, he is certain "that the proportion of true collaborative applications will increase steadily. What does the future of collaborative robotics look like? "In three to five years, the topic will be absolutely established," says Darius Wilke. "The Cobot industry expects an annual growth of 55 percent by 2023. If the market continues to grow with the current dynamics, there will be more Cobots than traditional industrial robots in the long term."
