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you to know that it’s five years since we launched our YuMi dual-arm collaborative robot. Originally launched to help augment the productivity of manual workers working on lightweight assembly tasks, YuMi has gone on to be deployed in a raft of diverse applications that have helped to fire people’s


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imaginations about what can be achieved with robotic automation. ABB’s quest for a collaborative robot began in 1997, when


researchers began developing a robot that could be easily deployed alongside human workers in an industrial environment. Our wish was to create a portable robot that would be simple to install and operate and could be used safely alongside people without the need for protective barriers. To maximise user acceptance, its design also needed to mimic the proportions and movements of a human operator. Launched in 2015 as the world’s first inherently safe robot, YuMi, in


both its dual and single arm configurations, has helped to open new possibilities for manufacturing companies worldwide. Our own research shows that many manufacturers see robotic


automation as being complicated and inflexible. Robots like YuMi are changing these perceptions. Simple to install and operate, YuMi enables users to quickly gain experience in applying robotic automation that can then be used to guide investment in other robots and deployment on more complex tasks. Additionally, with the new ABB Wizard block-based easy programming software, even users with little or no knowledge of robot programming can use and adjust the YuMi robot’s actions within seconds using a simple drag and drop function. Over the past five years, YuMi has expanded beyond its original


intended use cases to find application in a range of unique and diverse sectors spanning everything from cosmetics production through to welding, confectionery and healthcare. YuMi robots are even being used to serve ice cream from booths placed around beaches. With the ability to combine the dexterity and speed of robotic


automation with the creativity and flexibility of human workers, robots like YuMi present an exciting future for manufacturing. Who knows what the next five years could bring? YuMi may be a lightweight robot, but it will continue to have an increasingly heavy impact on the take-up of robotic automation.


Nigel Platt LBL manager UK and Ireland – ABB Robotics


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hey say that time flies when you’re having fun. It might therefore surprise


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Automation | April 2020


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