With ever increasing global demand and depletion of natural resources, industries are now looking for advanced robotic solutions to increase their productivity and safety. In post Covid-19 world, the focus is on collaborative robotics or cobotics to maximise the benefit of human intelligence.
With robots’ precision and ability to work tirelessly in an environment where the humans might find challenging, the latter’s safety seems well assured. “Without this technological revolution, our existence is in danger. From health professionals to industries to academics and to even common people getting interested in cobotics, the collaboration between humans and machines, can make the world a better and safer place”, says Amit Shukla, assistant professor, School of Engineering, IIT Mandi where researchers are developing new cobotic technologies for inspection of industrial infrastructures to detect both existing and future anomalies, and in effect, maximising cost efficiency.
Rising interest
The field recently received a boost when the Department of Science and Technology allocated funding of Rs 170 crore for IIT Delhi’s ‘I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics’(IHFC). The funding will be used partially to support startups and other companies to realise robotics products from the research at IIT Delhi and other places in the country, and also for conducting skill development programmes and providing fellowships to the students.
Wide application
In a Covid infected environment, mobile operated robots have been developed to supply food and other items in isolation wards. Cobotics, however finds application across sectors, from helping a child learn his subjects, doing repeated work without fatigue, helping a farmer apply pesticides or even a worker in a nuclear power plant.
Though, there is no shortage of technical groundwork for Cobotics in India, more innovation and engineering are needed to build application for industries.
Cobotics in Industry 4.0
“Cobots are an integral part of Industry 4.0 evolution and a huge innovation and growth driver for the robotics industry apart from military and public safety, manufacturing and mining industries”, says Abhay Bansal, joint head, Amity School of Engineering and Technology, Greater Noida.
Since cobots are affordable, highly adaptable and almost plug-and-play, small and medium-sized enterprises are eager to adopt this technology.
Source: The Times of India-Education News
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