How do cobots differ from traditional robots?

Cobots differ from traditional robots in safety, flexibility, and usability. Traditional robots are typically high-speed, high-power machines confined to safety cages to protect human workers. These robots require significant infrastructure, programming expertise, and safety guarding before deployment. In contrast, cobots are designed for direct interaction with humans. They operate at reduced speeds and incorporate safety features like force-limited joints, proximity sensors, and collision detection to avoid injury. This allows them to function without safety cages in many applications, depending on a thorough risk assessment.

Cobots are also more user-friendly. Many come with intuitive interfaces and teach pendants that allow operators to guide the robot by hand rather than through complex code. This reduces integration time and makes them accessible even to facilities without dedicated robotics engineers. Flexibility is another major differentiator—cobots can be reprogrammed quickly and moved between workstations. This adaptability is ideal for low-volume, high-mix production. While traditional robots dominate in high-speed, high-volume manufacturing, cobots excel in tasks that benefit from human collaboration, such as small-batch processing, quality checks, and precision assembly.