SYMBIO-TIC: Safer Human-Robot Collaboration for Workplaces of the Future

Factories of the future will depend on the development of safe, cost-effective, hybrid assembly/packaging arrangements based on human–robot collaboration. However, the European manufacturing industry faces implementation challenges, which could be summarized as a lack of adaptability, flexibility, and vertical integration. The EU-supported SYMBIO-TIC project created tools for robot-reluctant industries where current tasks and processes are typically considered too complex for automation. These included a collision avoidance system, a planning and control tool to monitor and re-plan assembly tasks, intuitive robot control commands, a real-time worker support system tailored to workers' competence and skill levels, as well as changing assembly sequences.