Robots with human characteristics have long been featured in science-fiction tales. There’s a good chance that before long employees in your distribution center will be working side-by-side with these “humanoids.”
The New “Face” of Robotics
Robots have been used for industrial applications for more than 50 years, but developers, anticipating the inevitable step toward direct human-machine interaction, have begun adding more “flesh-and-blood” characteristics. These collaborative robots, or “cobots,” are expected to be seen more frequently within the next five to 10 years.
What’s different about cobots? In addition to having a “face,” they have built-in actuators allowing their joints to mimic the movement of a human arm. Force-sensing technology stops a cobot in its tracks whenever it comes into contact with another object.
Benefits of Cobots
• Cobots can move freely around a DC without the directional aids required by traditional robots.
• Instead of using time-consuming programming for activation, co-workers will actually be able to take a cobot by the “hand” and walk it through the steps of an action or procedure.
• Costs are lower thanks to more efficient construction and less need for a supportive infrastructure.
Not surprisingly, there are fears that cobots will eventually replace human workers. Aldo Zini, president and CEO of Aethon Inc., says the 500 cobots they employ handle many of the repetitive manual duties, freeing up employees for more value-added activities.
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