When we mention collaborative robots, we usually think of collaborative robotic arms. The robotic arm belongs to the first type of collaborative robot Cobot, which has been widely used in various industries around the world in the past 10 years. Although collaborative robotic arms play an important role in automated manufacturing processes, at the same time, the collaborative autonomous mobile robot AMR, which can safely cooperate with human work, has also entered manufacturing factories and warehouses to optimize internal logistics. In fact, this new technology is rapidly being adopted in different industries. According to MiR's report, 78% of companies believe that collaborative AMR will be integrated into their internal logistics systems within 1-2 years.

There are significant differences in the types of AMRs and the degree of contact between AMRs and human colleagues. Some AMRs work in "dark warehouses" or protected manufacturing environments without human involvement, and these AMRs do not belong to collaborative robots, while others share workspaces with humans and collaborate, such as MiR's robots. The more interaction and collaboration between robots and humans, the higher the requirements for safety features and functional safety, in order to ensure safe collaboration. Collaborative AMR is designed for working collaboratively with humans to perform tasks or share workspaces without the need for any external security measures such as fences or barriers. AMR is carefully designed with multiple technical features to ensure safe passage around human or other obstacles along the route. These technological features include laser scanners, 3D cameras, and complex software.

Collaboration types between humans and AMR

The scope of collaboration between humans and AMRs is very wide, from people and robots who have no direct contact, to shared workspaces, and then to collaborative modes that accept human instructions or communicate with workers in shared workspaces. If collaborative AMRs are to share workspaces with people, the importance of having relevant features and safety functions will correspondingly increase.

At present, most MiR applications are shared workspace applications, where robots and employees work together to complete tasks in sequence, or robots receive instructions from workers, such as picking up or delivering goods. When workers are working at their workstations, robots are responsible for moving materials, but they work and move in the same area. The collaboration between collaborative AMRs and workers is showing an increasing trend, and users are paying more and more attention to responsive collaboration, such as the "follow" function of robots following workers in pickup scenarios, or the "directional pickup" function of AMRs guiding workers to their destinations. These applications are typical warehouse and e-commerce applications.

The benefits of collaborative AMR

Collaborative AMR provides an economically feasible entry point for logistics automation. Through collaborative AMR, many internal transportation tasks in production and warehouse environments can be automatically completed with only minor adjustments to the layout, allowing companies that have not achieved material handling automation to enjoy the productivity and efficiency provided by AMR. With the help of autonomous navigation, collaborative applications enable companies to flexibly and automatically complete some internal transportation tasks, which was unimaginable before the introduction of this technology.

Many companies have already achieved automation in their manufacturing processes, and introducing collaborative AMRs can not only optimize internal logistics workflows, take over heavy handling work, provide support for the work environment, but also help workers save a lot of daily processes, thereby reducing the risk of work-related injuries. At the same time, AMR can also improve worker safety. According to MiR's report, 72% of respondents believe that collisions and accidents are the main business challenges. The collaborative AMR is equipped with safety navigation and can replace traditional internal transportation tools, such as forklifts that often cause accidents.

In the past, establishing robot systems and other logistics systems was a lengthy process that required the support of system integrators for each adjustment. For dynamic companies that frequently change their processes and layouts, this process is laborious and costly. Collaborative robots such as MiR robots have intuitive programming interfaces, allowing even users with little or no programming experience to program the robots. Complex applications still require system integration experts, but for simple applications, staff only need to receive a small amount of robot training to easily redeploy robots to new tasks. This is particularly important for manufacturers with short production cycles and the need to quickly redeploy robots to adapt to new routes and tasks.

Collaborative AMR is highly flexible and can easily adapt to specific customer needs. MiR has a complete ecosystem, offering different top modules that can be installed on mobile platforms for quick customization. AMR can be equipped with robotic arms, conveyor belts, rack lifting devices for picking up carts, pallet racks, pallet lifts, or other equipment to support specific workflows.

Collaborative AMR can provide work support for employees, eliminating the need for them to engage in many heavy, ergonomic, and time-consuming material handling tasks, reducing overall collision risks. At the same time, AMR enables manufacturers to free up workers' production time, allowing them to use their skills to complete more valuable tasks, thereby increasing productivity.

Maintain competitiveness through collaborative AMR

The market for collaborative AMR is still in its early stages. End users and system integrators are still accumulating experience in designing and implementing AMR applications. The development of technologies such as AMR's artificial intelligence capabilities is expected to expand its application scope, as AMR will become more intelligent and adept at interacting with the environment.

The benefits of collaborative AMR cannot be ignored; This logistics solution is flexible, scalable, easy to integrate and customize, and can adapt to agile manufacturing and warehouse environments. Collaborative AMR can improve the working environment and workshop safety, while also improving material handling, increasing efficiency, reducing labor costs, and allowing workers to focus on higher value tasks. In a challenging market full of global competition, collaborative AMR solutions help maintain competitiveness.