Keep The Robot In The Cage--How Effective (And Safe) Are Co-Bots?

Manufacturing robots are breaking free of their cages. Sensor technology and artificial intelligence have now progressed to the stage where collaborative robots (co-bots) can work safely alongside humans in a wide variety of applications, including supermarkets, farms, and hospitals. But manufacturing is where co-bots will really help to boost productivity far beyond that of humans and robots working separately. As the market expands, however, businesses must prepare appropriately to get the most out of co-bots and avoid costly, if not dangerous mistakes. Bringing robots into close quarters with humans is a huge advance in our technological progress, and will allow us to achieve new levels of intricacy and minimize risk of injury, most notably in manufacturing.