AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS
new ways to enable faster and easier commissioning and programming. O’Byrne says, “Cobot manufacturers have introduced a highly abstracted approach to programming. In many cases, the user does not need to write a single line of code, the a tablet-style console. Then the operator can perform guided programming, positioning the cobot arm in a sequence of points in space, and pressing a button on the console to store the sequence in the cobot’s memory.” Smaller, cheaper cobots that are quicker
and easier to deploy are the industry’s vision for the wider adoption of robotics.
The combination of a cobot and human can achieve much greater output more safely than humans on their own. This is giving rise to exciting opportunities to re-imagine work and the workplace. What we are used to thinking of as manual work could be transformed, eliminating physical strain, tedium and danger, as well as the scope for human error, and freeing workers to perform more stimulating work that makes better use of their cognitive abilities. But O’Byrne insists that this
transformation needs careful management if industry is to retain the consent of the communities that it works in. She says, “Today, people are fearful that robots
will replace people, particularly the least While I understand the fear, I think it’s misplaced. In fact, the introduction of robots takes tasks away from humans, but not jobs. People have to do what the cobots cannot do: or reinvent it and build the team that works with the cobots. These are functions that require humanity, not machinery.” O’Byrne says that those who are already
employed to perform a task are often the manage the cobot. “In a factory, it’s the intimate knowledge of the process, so they know best how to integrate cobots into it.
“The combination of a cobot and human can achieve much greater output more safely than humans on their own.”
Of course, this change in their role Cobots will find many new areas and use cases
requires some additional skills and knowledge, but organisations can bring their staff and the wider community with them if they support that transition with generous programmes for training and reorganisation. I think public bodies can usefully play a role here too, for instance, to extend the provision of vocational robotics courses for graduates A win-win outcome from the adoption of
new robotics technologies is possible, but the lesson from experts such as ADI’s Nicola O’Byrne is clear,“Technology is at the heart of successful implementations of robotics, but take care of the people and the process that the new generation of robots have to offer.”
Humans and cobots can work hand in hand
Analog Devices
www.analog.com
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