Collaborative robots are rapidly providing major improvements in productivity, safety, programing ease, portability and cost while addressing many new applications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the dramatic entry of collaborative robotics into applications. It also examines the current state of the art for collaborative robotics, factors driving their entry and their outlook for the future. Design/methodology/approach The paper includes discussions with key managers of robot companies. Attendance at the International Federation for Robotics round table discussion on collaboration and another industry round table meeting on collaborative robotics. Attendance at the CIRP technical conference on automation. Attendance at the Robotics Industry Association International Collaborative Robots Workshop. Findings Collaborative robotics are addressing many previously unmet applications while saving money, improving productivity, simplifying programming and speeding the time to return investment. It is forecast that collaborative robotics systems can address almost 100 million assembly and logistics tasks not previously addressable with traditional robotics technology. Practical implications The paper implies a major examination of collaborative robot technology now and in the future. Readers may be very excited to learn the many new tasks that collaborative robots are addressing, the many tools that have been developed to aid in selecting, designing and gaining worker acceptance and the many unique benefits that are provided, as well as the systems already available. Originality/value The paper implies a major examination of collaborative robot technology now and in the future. Readers may be very excited to learn the many new tasks that collaborative robots are addressing, the many tools that have been developed to aid in selecting, designing and gaining worker acceptance and the many unique benefits that are provided, as well as the systems already available.