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Ford is partnering workers with specially designed robots in order to improve manufacturing in one of its European factories.
The specially designed collaborative robots – called co-bots – are being used alongside staff at Ford’s factory in Cologne, Germany, to help fit shock-absorbers to its line of Fiestas.
The co-bots contain a series of sensors to avoid obstructing human co-workers, and they also carry out the load bearing needed when installing different parts on to the car.
Ford says the experiment is part of its investigation into ‘Industry 4.0′, the idea that we are in the fourth industrial revolution that embraces automation and new manufacturing technologies.
Karl Anton, the director of vehicle operations for Ford of Europe, said: “Robots are helping make tasks easier, safer and quicker, complementing our employees with abilities that open up unlimited worlds of production and design for new Ford models.”
The bots are able to detect any arms or fingers that are in their way, with work also taking place to improve the ‘gestures’ and hand movements the co-bots can make, having so far extended to hand shakes and making coffee.
