Funded through the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.
The COLROBOT consortium is composed of 11 partners from 5 different European countries, whose well-established activities and expertise cover the entire value chain.
ColRobot: Collaborative Robotics for Assembly and Kitting in Smart Manufacturing
Manufacturing competitiveness depends largely on its productivity, flexibility, and agility to react to market demands. Robots are a key element in achieving such competitiveness, especially if they are able to collaborate with humans in a shared workspace on the shop floor, creating a co-working partnership. The paradigm for robot usage has changed from an idea in which robots work with complete autonomy to a scenario in which robots collaborate with humans. This means taking the best of each partner, human and robot, by exploring the cognitive and dexterity capabilities of humans (focus on value-added tasks) and the capacity of robots to produce repetitive work and provide assistance. ColRobot combines cutting-edge European robot technology and end-user requirements for assembly processes to create an integrated system for collaborative robotics in which a mobile manipulator acts as a "third hand" by delivering kits, tools, parts, and holding work pieces while the operator works on it. Humans will cognitively and physically interact with ColRobot robots using gestures, touch commands, and demonstrations. The robot will be able to navigate autonomously on the factory floor to pick up the required parts and tools and prepare kits for assembly. A safety system that pushes the limits of standardization in collaborative robotics supervises the process. The technology readiness level (TRL) will be increased by means of continuous iterative real-world testing (performance, usability, relevance in manufacturing), validation, and improvement. Two use cases in the automotive and aerospace industries will be implemented and validated in real-world operational environments. The ColRobot vision and the consortium's expertise in technology transfer will reduce the technological innovation gap and ease the transition from science to economic and social impact.
