Cooperative Robots
Cooperative robots (cobots) are robotic systems engineered to operate within a shared workspace alongside humans, prioritizing intrinsic safety, intuitive interaction, and collaborative task execution. Unlike traditional industrial robots isolated by safety cages, cobots utilize force limiting, collision detection, and adaptive control to enable direct Human-Robot Interaction.
Core Characteristics
- Intrinsic Safety: Compliance via torque/force sensors, rounded geometries, and power/force limiting per TS 15066.
- Collaboration Modes:
- Safety-rated monitored stop: Robot halts upon human entry.
- Speed and separation monitoring: Dynamic speed reduction based on proximity.
- Guided operation: Human-led teleoperation or direct physical guidance.
Healthcare Applications
Beyond industrial automation, HRI principles extend to clinical environments where robots assist physicians in therapy, emergency care, and patient monitoring.
- Clinical Support Systems: Integration of multi-agent systems and robots to support physicians in patient monitoring and therapeutic interventions, particularly in high-stress scenarios such as pandemic response (e.g., COVID-19 care).
- Telemedicine & Remote Interaction: Utilization of telemedicine capabilities to facilitate remote patient assessment and continuous monitoring through robotic interfaces.
- Key Research: See Lanza - Agents and robots for collaborating and supporting physicians in healthcare for detailed analysis on agent-robot collaboration in healthcare settings.