Simulation and programming experiences of collaborative robots for small-scale manufacturing

In this paper, we describe our experiences in simulation and programming of collaborative robots (cobots). We demonstrated the use of these devices and software with novice or inexperienced users. In this study, we asked novice users to perform simple pick-and-place tasks under varying perception and planning capabilities. The goal was to study how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can effectively utilize cobots in production. Small-scale manufacturing companies usually have limited resources for product development and typically have no robot experts or software wizards among their personnel. Our experiences with students and collaborating SMEs showed that cobots with easy-to-use simulation and programming tools offer promising possibilities to increase competitiveness in small-scale manufacturing.