What defines a cooperative robot (cobot) compared to traditional robots?

A cooperative robot, commonly referred to as a cobot, is specifically designed to collaborate and work alongside humans in shared workspaces. This characteristic distinguishes cobots from traditional industrial robots, which typically operate in isolation and often require safety barriers to separate them from human workers.

Cobots are engineered with safety features that allow them to work safely in the same environment as people, adapting to their movements and responding to their presence without the need for protective enclosures. This collaboration can increase productivity and efficiency, as humans and cobots can perform tasks simultaneously or assist each other as needed.

Other options highlight characteristics that are more indicative of traditional robots or do not capture the essence of cobots. For example, operating in isolation aligns with the operational protocols of conventional robots that often necessitate safety protocols to operate safely around humans. Similarly, requiring extensive programming is usually associated with traditional robots, which generally need complex, detailed programming to perform their tasks effectively. The notion of a simpler mechanical structure does not necessarily define a cobot, as the mechanical complexity can vary greatly between different types of robots regardless of their classification as collaborative or traditional.