Robot assistants at manual workplaces

A safe and flexible co-operation between robot and operator may be a promising way to achieve better productivity at the manual workplace. Thus, robot assistants can be thought to be clever helpers in manufacturing environments for fetch and carry jobs, assembly, handling, machining, measuring etc. Key components and methods supporting these next generation robot systems are currently under intense investigation and it is expected that furst scenarios of workers co-operating with manufacturing assistants for selected tasks are within three to five year's reach from now. In this paper, key issues in the evolution from robots to robot assistants will be addressed and typical scenarios for mid-term realizations will be given. Fundamental requirements regarding intuitive programming lead to advanced control architectures which incorporate multi-modal man-machine-interfaces and automatic task planning.