Intelligence-Assisted Cobots in Smart Manufacturing

Abstract

Humans are fascinated with incorporating human behaviors and intelligence into smart, intelligent systems or machines that can help develop collaborative working environments for better productivity and enhanced quality concerns. The introduction of intelligent robotic systems to manufacturing has taken industries and industrial automation to a new high. While these industrial robotics have adaptive capabilities with some degree of intelligence, these robots do not possess the quality of human interactions in unpredicted situations, and may harm human life from a safety point of view. The human–robot collaborative (HRC) systems such as intelligent-assist devices (IADs) have emerged as an alternative to address such issues of safety and efficient material handling processes. The collaborative systems provide a collaborative environment for both humans and robots to share the same workspace and payloads. These human–robot interactions provide a revolutionary change in manufacturing systems concerning design ergonomics, productivity, quality, and safety measures. This work is important and provides an in-depth insight and enlightens the readers toward the technological advancements and new era of research carrying-out to enhance the productivity for smaller and larger volumes of multi-variants products and customization. The new era of cobotic systems installed in the assembly lines are responsible for bridging the gaps between conventional robotics and intelligent cobots. This paper discusses human–machine interactions and their cooperation in assembly lines during the production system and the technological aspects to support this cooperation.