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FS 2016 – Collaborative Robots
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P a g e
Meet my new work colleague – A Robot
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Author
Stewart Robinson
Principal Engineer and Functional Safety Expert
TÜV SÜD Product Service UK
Abstract
Collaborative Robots, sometimes referred to as cobots, are designed to work alongside
humans in a “collaborative workspace”, an area where the robot and the human can perform
tasks simultaneously.
Unlike more traditional machines, which are ‘caged’ by a guarding mechanism, collaborative
robots often operate in the human-occupied workspace without safety fencing. However, not
all collaborative robots are guard-free, depending on their function and related safety
requirements. This paper explains the measures that are required to ensure that working
with cobots is ‘safe’, including a description of the Functional Safety requirements.
A brief history of Industrial Robots
ISO 8373 defines an Industrial Robot as:
“An automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulator
programmable in three or more axes, which may be either fixed in place or mobile for
use in industrial automation applications.”
It is generally accepted that Industrial Robots date back to around 1960, General Motors
installed their first Industrial Robot at the Trenton New Jersey plant in 1961. This was a
“Unimate” robot arm developed by the company Unimation (name derived from Universal
Automation). The inventor was George Devol. The robot weighed about two tons but was
remarkably accurate, it was used for spot welding and handling die castings.
Figure 1 1961 Danbury, Connecticut. Unimate Number 001 is put through its paces before
shipping to the General Motors plant in Trenton, NJ.