A cobot equipped with a laser-mounted end-effector points at a detected short bar. A green dot marks the identified short bar, providing a clear visual cue for operators.

A demonstration of vision-guided collaborative robotics has shown what the future of automation in steel product manufacturing could look like. As part of the Australian Cobotics Centre’s (ACC) Biomimic Cobots Program, this research initiative fosters university-industry partnerships to drive technological advancements.  Researchers from the Robotics Institute at UTS and the Research Engineering Facility at QUT, in collaboration with InfraBuild, deployed a custom AI-based “shorts” detection system integrated with a collaborative robot (cobot) that aims to enhance safety and maintain quality control in an active production environment.

The industry partner, InfraBuild, operates a manufacturing process that involves producing hot steel bars in various shapes and sizes. Quality control is maintained through a manual process where workers, operating in 12-hour rotating shifts, identify and remove defective short-length bars, known as “shorts”, from a conveyor. This task is both physically demanding and requires continuous focus to reduce errors and ensure workplace safety.

A key requirement for the solution was that it integrate seamlessly into existing operations without necessitating extensive modifications to plant, equipment, or processes. However, due to the wide variety of products that InfraBuild manufactures, off-the-shelf automation solutions were not suitable for accurately identifying and removing every type of bar produced. Given these requirements, a vision system consisting of various sensing modalities and a cobot were selected. This choice minimises the disruption to Infrabuild’s current workflow since cobots can operate safely alongside human workers without the need for extensive guarding and offers the flexibility and the option to revert to manual operation if needed.

A major milestone was achieved during the demonstration, successfully showcasing the “shorts” detection and cobot bar tracking system functioning in a live factory environment.  During the demonstration, the AI-based “shorts” detection system successfully detected short bars in real time. This information was communicated through a graphical user interface, displaying live video streams from two cameras mounted on InfraBuild’s conveyor line. The interface also featured coloured indicators: dots marking the detected start and end of a bar, its corresponding length displayed in the centre, and the average length per run. If a short bar was detected, a red bounding box highlighted it, and its corresponding length measurement changed from green to red, providing a clear visual cue for operators. The additional information provided from each production run, offers valuable insights for InfraBuild’s quality assurance processes. Additionally, InfraBuild noted that the vision system alone was a valuable addition, as it would enable operators on the factory floor to more quickly identify and remove defective bars when necessary.

By leveraging real-time detections from the vision system, the cobot dynamically adjusted its actions, indicating the bars identified as “shorts” by pointing at them. A laser mounted on the cobot’s end-effector highlighted these bars, allowing staff from the ACC and InfraBuild to clearly see the identified short bar. This milestone demonstrated the adaptability of vision-guided cobots, which, unlike traditional automation systems requiring structured environments, can respond dynamically to changing conditions in manufacturing processes.

This trial serves as a proof of concept for integrating robotic vision systems into InfraBuild’s broader production lines and offers valuable insights for other SME manufacturing companies looking to implement similar cobot-enabled automation solutions. By demonstrating the potential of vision-guided cobots, this initiative represents a step toward smarter, safer, and more flexible manufacturing systems. Showcasing a live cobot system in a factory was a first and major milestone for the ACC, proving that it is possible to address challenging problems found in industry. This achievement provides insight on the commercial viability of such technologies, marking a step for InfraBuild as they move toward the next phase of development.

Graphical user interface of the AI-based ’shorts’ detection system. The top image displays a run with no short bars detected. In the bottom image, a short bar is identified, highlighted by a red bounding box, and its length measurement in the centre of the interface changes from green to red, providing a clear visual indicator.

 

As manufacturing moves to more advanced methods of production that utilises technologies such as cobots, vocational education and training (VET) providers are under increasing pressure to develop and deliver training that meets the evolving needs of the advanced manufacturing sector. This article uses the notion of employability to present three themes emerging from my research to unpack how skills are perceived and understood by those involved in provision and delivery of vocational education for advanced manufacturing.

Readiness: Laying the Groundwork for Success

In courses like Electrotechnology, higher-level math and literacy are prerequisites for success. VET providers look to support students with a range of programs including in class support to help bridge literacy, numeracy and digital abilities gaps of new students, ensuring they are better equipped to handle complex technical training.

Teachers are critical to ensuring readiness. As industries increasingly shift in the use and application of technology, trainers and training providers need to also keep pace but may lack familiarity with modern technologies such as robotics and automation. Investment in teacher development is essential to ensure they can deliver training that meets the current demands of industry.

VET providers must also ensure that their training equipment and facilities reflect the new technological landscape. This can be a significant hurdle, as systemic factors related to capital expenditure for public providers often restrict the ability to invest in advanced tools and machinery, requiring support from industry partners.

Adaptation: Responding to Changing Skills Needs

Adaptation underscores the importance of providers’ ability to respond to the changing skills needs of the workforce. While VET institutions recognize the need to evolve, the process of revising training packages is often slowed by conflicting industry interests and other stakeholder agendas.

To counter this, VET providers have increasingly turned to alternative forms of training. Microcredentials have emerged as flexible solutions to upskill or reskill workers in emerging areas like autonomous technologies and robotics. These shorter, more targeted programs can be developed quickly and are designed to address specific industry needs, even if they fall outside the scope of formal qualifications. Institutions are also offering hybrid courses that combine in-person and online elements, allowing workers to access training more flexibly. This adaptability is crucial as industries face rapid technological advancements and a need for workers with specialized skills.

Collaboration: Bridging the Gap Between Education and Industry

Collaboration emphasises the importance of partnerships between educational institutions, industry, and government to effectively meet the workforce’s evolving needs, and ensure that training is relevant and up to industry standards.

New initiatives like higher apprenticeships, which combine trade qualifications with university degrees, are emerging. These programs require careful coordination between VET and university sectors to ensure that students receive the necessary support and meet the varying requirements of both systems.

Industry partnerships also extend beyond course design to include equipment sharing and resource pooling. Industry partners help to overcome capital investment limitations of VET institutions by providing the latest equipment such as cobots. This reciprocal arrangement helps both parties. Industry partners gain access to skilled workers trained on the latest equipment, while VET providers can offer students hands-on experience with tools and equipment used in workplaces.

Moving Forward

Through readiness, adaptation, and collaboration VET providers can better prepare learners for the future workforce. Ensuring that learners enter training with the right foundational skills, adapting training offerings to meet the rapidly changing technological landscape, and fostering strong collaborations with industry and higher education institutions are all key steps in skilling a workforce capable of thriving in technologically complex workplaces. Ongoing collaboration between education providers, industry, and policymakers will be key to ensuring workers have the skills necessary to succeed in the advanced manufacturing industry.

Automation has long been the domain of large enterprises with deep pockets and extensive resources. However, the landscape is undergoing a transformation, with collaborative robots, often referred to as cobots, leading the way in driving this change. Designed to work seamlessly alongside humans, cobots are making automation accessible, even for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). According to a recent report^[1], the global cobot market is projected to grow from $1.2 billion in 2023 to close to $3 billion by 2028, reflecting their rising adoption across industries.

For SMEs, staying competitive often requires overcoming unique challenges such as limited budgets, smaller teams, and the need for operational agility. According to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s 2024 Small Business Condition Survey^[2], labour shortages and rising costs are among the most significant obstacles that small businesses face. While traditional automation systems can help address labour shortages, they are often rigid, complex, and prohibitively expensive, making them unsuitable for many SMEs. Enter cobots, a revolutionary solution that combines affordability, flexibility, and ease of deployment.

• What Are Cobots, and How Do They Differ from Traditional Robots?

Collaborative robots, or cobots, are a new generation of robotic systems designed to work directly with humans in shared workspaces. Unlike traditional industrial robots, which often require physical barriers for safety, cobots are equipped with advanced sensors and programming that allow them to detect and adapt to human presence. This makes them inherently safer and more versatile in environments where people and machines need to work side by side.

• Why Cobots Are the Perfect Growth Hack for SMEs?

Cobots have the potential to transform SMEs by providing solutions that deliver a wide range of benefits. These include:

• Cost-Effectiveness

Cobots are significantly more affordable than traditional industrial robots. Unlike industrial robots, which require heavy structures and safety cages, cobots can often be mounted with simple tools like a G-clamp, saving on installation costs and space. In contrast, industrial robots demand extensive safety measures and infrastructure, which not only consume space but also incur additional expenses. This cost difference is critical for SMEs operating on tight budgets.

• Flexibility and Adaptability

Unlike traditional robots, which are designed to fully automate a task or leave it to manual labour, cobots offer a middle ground, semi-automation. This capability is invaluable for SMEs, where automating the complete workflows are complex or expensive.

For example, a furniture manufacturing SME can program a cobot to assist with sanding tasks. While the cobot performs the repetitive sanding, workers can focus on more intricate assembly tasks, significantly boosting overall productivity. This shared workspace model eliminates the rigidity of traditional automation, allowing SMEs to adapt quickly to changing demands.

• Ease of Use

Cobots are designed with user-friendliness in mind, often featuring intuitive interfaces that require minimal training. Employees without technical expertise can quickly learn to program and operate these robots, reducing downtime. Blocky programming uses a drag-and-drop interface where users create workflows by connecting pre-designed blocks that represent commands or actions. This visual approach eliminates the need for complex coding knowledge, making it ideal for SMEs that may not have dedicated robotics experts on staff. For instance, programming a cobot to pick and place items can be as simple as dragging blocks for “move,” “grip,” and “release,” and arranging them in sequence.

• Real-World Examples

Cobots have demonstrated significant value in real-world SME environments, offering practical solutions to common operational challenges. KUKA, a leading cobot manufacturer, has highlighted numerous cases^[3] where SMEs have successfully implemented their collaborative robots. These include applications in quality inspection in plastics manufacturing, machine loading in metal industries, and assembly tasks in the automotive sector. Similarly, Universal Robots (UR), another leading cobot manufacturer, has documented a wide range of SME applications^[4], such as palletizing in food production, welding in small-scale metal fabrication, and material handling in manufacturing environments. For example, the SME Bob’s Red Mill utilized UR cobots to automate palletizing tasks, effectively addressing labour shortages and boosting productivity. These examples illustrate how cobots are enabling SMEs to enhance their operations through flexible and scalable automation solutions tailored to their specific needs.

• Start small, Scale smart !

By embracing cobots today, SMEs can secure the future of their operations and position themselves for sustained success in a world that is becoming more competitive. The key to successfully integrating cobots is to start with a focused approach by introducing them into one or two specific processes. As businesses gain confidence and expertise, they can gradually expand their use. This method helps organisations reduce risks, control costs, and tailor the technology to fit their specific requirements.

References

[1] T. Haworth, “Global cobot market exceeds $1bn in 2023, with strong growth forecast 2024-28,” Interact Analysis. Accessed: Nov. 21, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://interactanalysis.com/global-cobot-market-exceeds-1bn-in-2023-with-strong-growth-forecast-2024-28/

 [2] Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Small Business Conditions Survey 2024, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Canberra, ACT, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.australianchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ACCI-Small-Business-Conditions-Survey-2024.pdf

[3] “Successful automation in small and medium-sized enterprises,” KUKA AG. Accessed: Nov. 21, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.kuka.com/en-de/company/iimagazine/2023/05/kmu-erfolgsgeschichten

[4] “Customer Success Stories – collaborative robots.” Accessed: Nov. 21, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.universal-robots.com/case-stories