A cobot, or as it is also known, a collaborative robot, is a type of robot or robotic vehicle designed to work safely with and around humans.
Collaborative robots can safely work alongside mobile equipment, whether human-operated, automated, or autonomous.
The main difference between cobots and regular industrial robots is that collaborative robots do not require a safety fence around them to ensure the safety of humans.
There are several ways cobot safety is achieved, such as:
Lighter and safer construction
Speed and force limitation
Sensors such as LiDAR or vision, for example
The primary purpose of a cobot is to assist people with dangerous, tedious, and exhausting tasks – allowing humans to focus on more challenging tasks.