A co-bot is a robot intended to physically interact with humans in a shared workspace. This stands in contrast with other robots, designed to operate autonomously or with limited guidance. Co-bots can be used to complete the dull, mundane, monotonous, repetitive, risky and strenuous tasks that do not need much human intervention.
“The focus is on SMEs who cannot afford too much manpower but are required to produce the same output as established manufacturing units. Co-bots have several advantages over industrial robots, they are small, easy to use and safe, compared to industrial robots,” said David, adding, therefore, expenditure will also be diminished as the only expense will be on the co-bot and the controller. The average payback for our co-bots is 195 days.
David also says that cobots are a one-time investment that does not require too much power. According to him, manufacturers can save up to 350W for a 10KG payload robot. They are also easily programmable and have no annual maintenance cost, potentially saving manufacturers around Rs 1 lakh a year.
“Software is free with upgrades readily available. This is an attractive proposition for SME owners as it results in extremely low running cost through the life of the robot,” Pradeep David describes. Currently, the global co-bot market is valued at $128 million (Rs 854 crore) and will likely reach $1 billion (Rs 6,670 crore) by 2019. Universal Robots itself has over 9000 co-bots installed globally, 200 in India.
Installation costs range from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. “For India, which has a low adoption rate, this would mean loss of business as companies will re-shore businesses back to high wage countries who have incorporated robotic technologies. It is not too late for corporates to start automating shop floors, preserving jobs through increased business,” Pradeep cautions.
Source: The New Indian Express
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