Page 23 - EngineerIT February 2022 UPDATED

AUTOMATION AND CONTROL

the grind and strain involved in much commissioning and programming. O’Byrne says: “Cobot manufacturers have introduced a highly
manual labour. They can do the tedious or abstracted approach to programming. In many cases, the user does not need to write a single
dangerous tasks such as polishing, milling, line of code—the operations of the cobot can be configured via a tablet-style console. Then the
drilling or cutting, under the guidance of operator can perform guided programming, positioning the cobot arm in a sequence of points
a human operator.” Studies have shown in space, and pressing a button on the console to store the sequence in the cobot’s memory.” n
that safety at work is enhanced while
working with cobots. 1 Reference
The operation of cobots alongside a 1. “What Do You Know About Cobots?” Matthews Intelligent Identification, January 2017.
human operator means that the power
they use and the space they occupy About the author
must be much more limited than for a Nicola O’Byrne is a strategic marketing manager with the autonomous mobility team
conventional stand-alone robot. This within the Automotive Business Unit at Analog Devices. She holds a B.Eng. in electrical
means that they must be aware of their engineering and microelectronics from University College Cork (UCC) Ireland and has been
environment, so that they slow down or with ADI for 25 years, with technical expertise in analogue-to-digital converter technology,
stop when they detect a person close to a motion control and robotic systems. She holds a number of patents. She can be reached at
moving part such as a tool or the arm of nicola.obyrne@analog.com.
the cobot.
Cobot manufacturers are also finding ADI is represented in South Africa by Altron Arrow. For more information
new ways to enable faster and easier email ccoetzee@arrow.altech.co.za

“ ne of the biggest new developments is in the design and deployment of cobots. The best how to integrate cobots into it. Of
role of cobots is to take away the grind and strain involved in much manual labour. course, this change in their role requires
OThey can do the tedious or dangerous tasks such as polishing, milling, drilling or some additional skills and knowledge,
cutting under the guidance of a human operator.” but organisations can bring their staff and
Smaller, cheaper cobots that are quicker and easier to deploy: this is industry’s vision the wider community with them if they
for the wider adoption of robotics. The combination of cobots and humans can achieve support that transition with generous
much greater output more safely than humans on their own. This is giving rise to exciting programs for training and reorganisation.
opportunities to reimagine work and the workplace. What we are used to thinking of as I think public bodies can usefully play a
manual work could be transformed, eliminating physical strain, tedium and danger, as well role here too, for instance, to extend the
as the scope for human error, and freeing workers to perform more stimulating work that provision of vocational robotics courses for
makes better use of their cognitive abilities. graduates to enhance their value to a first
But O’Byrne insists that this transformation needs careful management if industry is to employer.”
retain the consent of the communities that it works in. She says: “Today, people are fearful A win-win outcome from the adoption
that robots will replace people, particularly the least qualified and lowest paid sections of of new robotics technologies is possible,
society. While I understand the fear, I think it’s misplaced. In fact, the introduction of robots but the lesson from experts such as
takes tasks away from humans, but not jobs. People have to do what the cobots cannot do: ADI’s Nicola O’Byrne is clear. As she says:
manage the process, use creativity to refine or reinvent it, and build the team that works “Technology is at the heart of successful
with the cobots. These are functions that require humanity, not machinery.” implementations of robotics, but take care
O’Byrne says that those who are already employed to perform a task are often the best of the people and the process as well if
people to configure, operate and manage the cobot. She says: “In a factory, it’s the people you want to enjoy the full benefits that the
on the shop floor who have the most intimate knowledge of the process, so they know new generation of robots have to offer.” n

Figure 2. Cobots will find many new areas and use cases. Figure 3. Humans and cobots can work hand in hand.

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