AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS A
utomation technology can make work less dangerous, strenuous and tedious, but it calls for sensitive implementation and a commitment to re-skilling.
COLLABORATION IN Are cobots the new co-workers? Before the start of this decade, various
forces were already combining to widen the adoption of robotics technology. Robots were being installed in greater numbers, and logistics facilities, and even in such traditionally labour-intensive domains as food preparation and horticulture. Then in March 2020, those forces were
suddenly redoubled with the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The ‘new normal’ of the Covid-19 crisis has imposed the need for social distancing in workplaces, boosted the volume of e-commerce transactions and the chains are surprisingly fragile. Robotics has an important part to play in industry’s response to these coronavirus-induced phenomena. Innovations in the technology of robotics
systems have made them quicker and easier to implement than ever before. As the technical challenges involved in robotics become easier to solve, the spotlight is shifting to people and processes. Robotics technology can lead to profound changes to patterns of staff deployment, to the requirement for skills and training and even to organisational culture and to society at large, and these changes deserve careful attention from organisations and public bodies.
HIGH LEVEL GUIDANCE FOR COMPANIES IMPLEMENTING ROBOTICS PROGRAMS To help guide industry through this change, Analog Devices has made Nicola O’Byrne its global ambassador for robotics. O’Byrne is an engineer with years of experience in developing components and technology for robotics systems such as motors, SLAM
THE WORKPLACE: HOW A NEW GENERATION OF COBOTS IS IMPROVING THE NATURE OF MANUAL WORK
By Nicola O’Byrne, Strategic Marketing Manager, Analog Devices
modules and safety event detection. Now, she advises ADI’s customers, and its
customers’ customers, on the wider issues involved in the introduction or extension of robotics. This higher level view is more important than ever, she says, because the coronavirus pandemic is driving companies to adopt robotics technology faster than before. And if they take account of the issues that O’Byrne is raising, they can ensure that their deployments are not only quick, but also effective, and good for the company and the communities it operates in. “We know from real-world experience
that robots are huge productivity enhancers on the factory production line,” she says. “The classic uses of robots involve the deployment of large, expensive machines, which take weeks to install, commission and programme.” “Since the coronavirus pandemic took hold,
we have been seeing growing interest in the deployment of new types of robots, including collaborative robots, known as cobots. Absence because of illness or self-isolation makes it harder to plan work rosters, and the need for social distancing in the workplace means that in some settings, employers simply cannot accommodate their usual complement of workers. Robots or cobots offer the potential to take up the slack.” The pandemic has also put pressure
on global supply chains that were already feeling the strain of U.S.-China trade tensions and Brexit. One common response is to re-shore production, so that products are manufactured closer to the point of purchase or use. Again, robots play an important role. As
10 FEBRUARY 2026 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
O’Byrne says, “Re-shoring can be good for business continuity and resilience, but manufacturers producing in Western Europe or North America do not have access to low cost labour in the same way that they do in China or other Asian nations. Robots solve the workforce problem. They also provide operations, to support moves towards mass customisation.”
NEW ROLES FOR NEW TYPES OF ROBOTS According to O’Byrne, this new wave of automation is not just about more of the same: innovative organis new ways to automate which require new kinds of robots, and new skills in their human operators. She says, “One of the biggest new developments is in the design and deployment of cobots. The role of cobots is to take away the grind and strain involved in much manual labour. They can do the tedious, effortful, or dangerous tasks such as polishing, milling, drilling, or cutting, under the guidance of a human operator.” Studies have shown that safety at work is enhanced while working with cobots. The operation of cobots alongside a human
operator means that the power they use and the space they occupy must be much more limited than for a conventional standalone robot. This means that they must be aware of their environment, so that they slow down or stop when they detect a person close to a moving part such as a tool or the arm of the cobot.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
