Cobots and HMI: A Look at Industry 5.0

06.09.2020 // Lee Hibbert

We’ve all seen the smarter factories and increased human-machine interactions that have come with Industry 4.0 – but what does the not-too-distant future have in store? In this article, Lee Hibbert explores the role of humans in the automation loop, working alongside more powerful collaborative robots (cobots) to up the overall quality and efficiency of the operation:

Increasingly, cobots have become larger and more powerful, with the latestarms having up to five times the payload capability of their contemporaries. The increased size, and a more extensive range of grippers and tools, in combination with more intuitive programming, has opened up a broader range of applications to include heavy machine tending, material handling, packaging, and tightening screws and nuts. These arms can still be used in close proximity to production line employees, as they are installed with a complete range of proximity, distance, and position sensors.

Rather than replacing human workers, this revolution in automation puts them at center stage, working alongside robots in “a new era of connected manufacturing.”

Read the full article on allaboutcircuits.com