Flexibility and reallocation in times of crisis.
Universal Robots Head Southeast Asia Oceania Darrell Adams.
Darrell Adams
Collaborative robots, affectionately known as cobots, are emerging as a definitive force in the ongoing battle against COVID-19.
Whether they're disinfecting and disinfecting, doing COVID-19 tests, helping manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE), or boosting the production of respiratory protective equipment, cobots can work with humans safely or on their own. They're the answer to speeding up repetitive tasks in the manufacturing environment while addressing concerns about social distancing and employee safety.
Universal Robots, an industry pioneer, has found that the demand for its cobots has increased in various industries around the world. Due to the pandemic, many local companies have switched to robotic technology to boost production.
As the fastest growing sector in the robotics industry, cobots can be easily programmed and deployed remotely. Cobots were seen as a niche product in the past and are now the fastest growing segment in industrial robotics. Cobots are expected to move from niche status to mainstream by 2025, accounting for around 34 percent of global robot spending.
Disinfection with cobots
The pandemic has resulted in a massive increase in the demand for effective deep cleaning and disinfection technologies that do not involve direct human contact with potentially infected areas.
In mid-April, researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore presented the eXtremeDisinfection roBOT (XDBOT), which includes a UR5 cobot equipped with an electrostatic spray nozzle, all of which are mounted on a mobile platform.
The researchers programmed the cobot to mimic human hand movements so that it can get into areas that are difficult to access, such as under beds and tables – a function that is lacking in conventional disinfection robots, which are not as skilled.
These cobots can run non-stop for four hours on a single charge and have been successfully tested in public areas on the NTU campus. The team is now preparing to test this technology in local public hospitals.
The UR5 cobot with its integrated safety functions can work safely and also with people.
COVID-19 test with cobots
COVID-19 has also created unprecedented demand for medical testing. In response to this extraordinary demand, Universal Robots co-founder Esben Østergaard turned his creative powers to design and develop the world's first autonomous throat swab robot, developed by Lifeline Robotics, a company he co-founded with Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller. instituted at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU).
This robot uses UR3 cobot arms equipped with a custom 3D printed end effector. The process itself is simple and starts with the patient scanning their ID card. The robot immediately prepares a sample set, which consists of a container with an ID card printed on it, and picks up the swab. The robot then uses its integrated image processing system to identify the right points to swab the patient's neck. As soon as the swab process is complete, the bot places the sample in a container and unscrews the lid. The glass is then sent to a laboratory for analysis.
The process takes about seven minutes and the swab only takes 25 seconds.
In Houston, Texas, DetectaChem introduced a unique smartphone-based COVID-19 test solution in late May. The company's low-cost COVID-19 test at home delivers results via smartphone in just 15 to 30 minutes.
Fan production with cobots
The inherent flexibility of cobots supports the rapid development and deployment of automation, a feature that really comes into play in times of crisis. In March, for example, the Spanish car manufacturer SEAT decided to switch one of its assembly lines from its original role as an automobile to the production of fans. The auto giant installed a UR10e at the end of the line to perform a quality check of the locking mechanism on the unit's control box.
PSA production with cobots
Hannafin Automation, based in Ontario, Canada, was looking for a UR5 cobot to handle the entire 3D printing cycle of face shields. The cobot picked up a Cognex vision camera to check the completion of each print. When the printing is complete, the cobot picks it up, places it in a container and presses the printer's touchscreen to start a new cycle.
Each printer makes 25 face shields a day that are donated to local fire stations, paramedics, and police care homes.
How cobots can help on site
Adams notes that with the local economy rebounding, the government has consistently asked for more local manufacturing to take place. The country is making increasing efforts to find local, sustainable and inexpensive manufacturing methods to speed up the sector again.
Sometimes overlooked, cobots try to add value to the company and allow employees to focus on strategic tasks rather than repetitive and everyday tasks. We have seen many companies adopt flexible working hours. This is where cobots can help during downtime and work continuously to ensure continuous productivity.
Universal Robots regularly hosts webinars to help customers get started with cobots and explore automation options. Local support, service and maintenance, as well as training offerings through our online UR Academy, the global network of authorized training centers and UR's extensive UR + ecosystem are also available locally.
About universal robots
Universal Robots was founded in 2005 to make robot technology accessible to everyone by developing small, easy-to-use, affordable, and flexible collaborative robots (cobots) that can be used safely. Since the introduction of the first cobot in 2008, the company has seen significant growth with the easy-to-use cobot now sold worldwide. The company, which is part of Teradyne Inc., is headquartered in Odense, Denmark, and has offices in the USA, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Russia and Turkey, China, India, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Mexico. In 2018, Universal Robots had sales of $ 234 million. Further information is available at www.universal-robots.com or on our blog at https://blog.universal-robots.com.
For more information, please contact Rene Rose, Positive for Universal Robots (Email protected) or M +61 474 476344
Universal robot
Australia 1800 595 243
New Zealand 800 555 214
Singapore +65 6635 7270
