Cobots bring the future to the factory
Summary
Cobots bring the future to the factory The 21st-century dreams of flying cars and household androids that take care of our chores have yet to become reality. Enabled by machine learning and equipped with sophisticated sensing technology, cobots are working safely alongside humans, taking on hazardous, repetitive and increasingly complex tasks. They are changing the face of the assembly line and could ultimately transform industrial design as manufacturers learn how a workforce of humans and cobots can boost operational efficiencies. (1) Semiconductor technology is enabling advances in motor control, sensing and industrial communications that allow cobots to function efficiently and safely close to humans on the factory floor. Finding flexible solutions for load management and designing systems that can be deployed using existing footprints for power are other challenges that semiconductor suppliers are partnering with customers to solve.