What is a cobot?

A cobot, short for collaborative robot, is a robot built to share a workspace with people. Traditional industrial robots are powerful and fast, so they usually work behind fences. Cobots are designed to work alongside humans instead.

Where they came from

Cobots were developed in 1996 by J. Edward Colgate and Michael Peshkin at Northwestern University. The name was coined by Brent Gillespie, a postdoctoral researcher on the project.

What makes them safe

Cobots rely on several design choices:

• Lightweight materials and rounded edges
• Limits on speed and force, so contact doesn't cause injury
• Sensors that detect people nearby

Safety requirements are set by international standards, including ISO 10218 (robot safety) and ISO/TS 15066, a 2016 specification written specifically for collaborative applications.

Levels of collaboration

People and cobots can work together in different ways:

1. Coexistence: sharing a space without interacting
2. Sequential: taking turns on the same part
3. Cooperation: working on the same part at the same time
4. Responsive: the robot reacts in real time to a person's movements

Where you'll find them

Cobots handle assembly, heavy lifting, packaging and logistics, and they're increasingly easy to program without code. Epson's AX6 is a recent example, aimed at cleanrooms and tight spaces.