Technology transfer framework review for easy Cobot adoption by SMEs

Abstract

Collaborative industrial Robots (Cobots) were introduced as an advancement to traditional industrial Robots. Some advantages that were incorporated in Cobots included the ease of human interaction, safer working conditions and considerable smaller sizes. However, most Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Norway are not convinced of the merits of adopting these Cobots into their operations. This study seeks to understand the marketable features of the UR10e, and link these features to the operations in Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The study focused on the design and development of a tool that eases the adoption of the UR10e cobot by SMEs. This tool enables users with the barest technical knowledge and programming skills to manipulate the UR10e. This solution should increase staff recruitment concerns (revenue lost to new high, salary cost, specialized technical expertise etc.) of SMEs. An additional benefit of the tool developed is its opportunity to serve as a training platform for new staff or as a testing platform for unverified processes. A literature review has been conducted to understand the evolution of industrial robots and the current applications of Cobots in various industries.