Meet the cobots - giving collaborative robots a human touch

Baxter is wider than a man, and almost as tall, with smooth red skin and long, powerful arms. Its face is a flat screen, with cartoon eyes staring blankly into the middle distance. But suddenly those eyes shoot a glance towards something in the room. Robots have been part of the production line for decades, but until recently they've been kept apart from humans for safety reasons – either inside physical cages or behind invisible fences that act as a kill-switch when crossed. There have still been accidents.