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Bridging the Gap: Advances in Human-Robot Interaction

Robots are evolving quickly in the manufacturing space, becoming more intelligent, adaptable, and collaborative — moving beyond their position as useful tools and becoming active partners in a variety of applications.

As robot technologies and form factors continue to evolve, so does interaction between robots and humans. Developing technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing, and advanced sensors are helping robots interact more effectively with their human counterparts. And innovations like advanced gesture recognition, voice commands, and adaptive learning allow robots to better understand and respond to human intent.

“In the last five years, we’ve seen technology evolve so quickly, and it’s actually allowing this human-robot interaction to take place,” says Jon Battles, vice president of technical strategy at Cobot.

Even as the industry evolved from fixed industrial robots to autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and collaborative robots (cobots), many robots remained behind barriers of one kind or another, so they were not truly collaborative. The industry continues to move to a more collaborative model, though.

“The form factor is going to continue to evolve,” Battles says, pointing to the first Humanoid Robot Forum, put on late last year by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), and other moves toward increasingly collaborative robots.

“Robots, once confined by physical barriers, now collaborate with humans with the help of advanced sensors and adaptive safety systems,” says Mark Gagas, vice president of Sensory Robotics. “Collaborative robots and AMRs enable real-time responsiveness, flexibility, and seamless integration into workflows.”

Safety Is Priority Number One

Safety is top of mind for all players, and it’s the key ingredient to tightening the relationship between robots and humans. “That’s where our industry is really going to have to focus — certifying this next generation of robotic systems to actually work directly with people,” Battles says.

With fenced robots, manufacturers often face the challenge of two competing interests: productivity and safety. “Traditional approaches, like using physical barriers, ensure safety but can significantly limit flexibility and slow down workflows,” Gagas says.

Newer form factors, like cobots and AMRs, introduce flexibility into the workflow but bring new safety considerations into play. Robots interacting more closely with human workers brings worries about managing the unpredictability of humans in dynamic environments.

“Robots must be able to adapt quickly and effectively without compromising safety or disrupting operations,” Gagas says.

But even collaborative robots are still generally bound by an area scanner or a sensor, Battles notes. “When people get too close, they shut down,” he says. “The next generation can actually work directly with people because of the enhanced safety, the enhanced sensors.”

In the humanoid space, for example, there are zero cooperatively safe robots so far, which means they are currently confined to work cells, noted Melonee Wise, chief product officer at Agility Robotics, at A3’s Humanoid Robot Forum in October.

Cooperatively safe robots can share a workspace and detect human presence but are generally designed to work with minimal interaction. AMRs typically fall within the cooperatively safe category. Getting to the status of collaboratively safe goes a step further — designed for direct interaction with humans.

In February, A3 released the first major revision of ISO 10218 — the global standard for industrial robot safety — since it was developed in 2011. Nearly eight years in the making, the revised documents bring needed clarity and integration to robot safety.

But more work will be needed to keep up with this rapidly evolving, AI-driven generation of robots, says Battles, who also serves on the A3 Artificial Intelligence Technology Strategy Board.

“We’re going to see a big push in industry to get the right certified component parts that actually build up to this full, completely certified, collaborative autonomous robot market,” he says. “But it’s not only the physical and control hardware that we have to be thoughtful about. It’s the artificial intelligence software behind this, the generative AI, the agentic code that is developing. How do we safely certify that and the commands that it’s giving to the robot? That’s also a big part of the conversation.”

Unfencing Industrial Robots

Sensory Robotics makes robotic safety systems that track both robots and human workers to allow collaboration even with traditional industrial robots. “Our SR-1 solution uses 3D sensing technology to detect humans with precision. It creates adaptive safety zones, so robots automatically slow down or stop when people get too close,” Gagas explains. “This eliminates the need for fences, making workspaces safer and more flexible without sacrificing productivity.”  This improves the interaction between machine and human by building trust.

SR-1 can integrate with multiple robots and AMRs to enable collaborative workflows even in complex environments. The automotive industry, which has long been a proponent of industrial robots on its manufacturing and testing lines, serves as a great example of this capability.

Gagas points to a particular automotive manufacturer that was looking to improve both safety and efficiency on a production line with multiple robots, AMRs, and human workers. “With the SR-1, we allowed for a fenceless cell with small safety zones, so workers could inspect components during production and rapidly improve the process,” he says.

The solution is helping the manufacturer transform its operations. It has seen a 25% reduction in downtime because robots no longer have to stop entirely when humans are nearby. The company also realized a 15% boost in productivity as workflows became smoother and more collaborative; mobile robots are now able to tend the line without tripping the safety system.

This sort of adaptability continues to advance, and robots will need to continue to better handle unexpected human movements in busy environments, Gagas says. But worker confidence is still a challenge. “Even with safety systems like the SR-1, it can take time for employees to feel comfortable working closely with robots,” he says.

About the Author:

Aaron Hand is a Contributing Editor for the Assocation for Advancing Automation (A3) Robotic Industries Association (RIA), AIA-Advancing Vision + Imaging (AIA), and the Motion Control and Motors Association (MCMA), along with A3 Mexico, have played a key role in helping automation technologies become among the most critical tools of the 21st Century. As these technologies have converged, the association has had a convergence of its own. They are now the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), one trade group for the entire automation ecosystem. A3 invites you to join them in their mission to change the world for the better.