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Irish Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
March of the cobots: The technology lowering the barrier to automation
Cobots, or 'collaborative robots ', are a type of industrial robot designed to operate safely alongside human workers. Like conventional robots, they tend to take the form of a multi-jointed arm that can rotate, swivel, bend and contort to approach a job from any angle. Interchangeable tools at the end of their arms allow cobots to perform countless tasks, from assembling electronics and packaging pharmaceuticals to gluing and even welding. But the machines are smaller and more flexible than traditional robots, and are designed to be integrated with the workforce rather than separated from it, making automation attainable even for smaller companies. The first cobot was invented in the mid-1990s by two professors from Northwestern University in Illinois in the US, with commercial versions hitting the market a decade later. Since then the technology has surged in popularity as demand for automation soars in sectors from packaging to electronics, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises. READ MORE Cobots accounted for 11 per cent of all industrial robots installed in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). The cobot industry now has sales of almost $3 billion (€2.64 billion) a year, according to California-based consultancy Grand View Research, which forecasts annual growth of more than 30 per cent to the end of the decade as adoption spreads. Ben Morgan, interim chief executive of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield in the UK, said that while cobots were 'starting to come to the fore' around the start of the last decade, 'now they're far more commonplace. You see them in SMEs, you see them in multinationals, original equipment manufacturers, in lots of different applications'. Robots have been used in heavy industry for decades, boosting productivity in sectors such as car-making and metalworking. They tend to be large, expensive machines limited to a single task and their power requires them to be fenced off from workers to limit the possibility of injuries. The technical expertise required for their programming means deployment can carry the additional cost of hiring or contracting specialists, putting them out of reach for all but the largest of companies. Cobots share their older siblings' reliability and consistency but are smaller and tend to be far cheaper, with a faster return on investment, allowing easy integration into existing workflows and lowering the barrier to automation. Cobots can help companies improve productivity, quality and consistency by introducing automation at lower effort, and with less disruption to the existing production line, than traditional robots — Susanne Bieller, International Federation of Robotics Typically worktop-mounted, they are equipped with sensors that halt their motion if a person or unexpected object gets in the way, allowing them to operate more safely alongside human colleagues without the need for costly safety caging. They do not always require specialist programmers. Many boast intuitive touchscreen technology or functions that allow a human operator to manipulate them, rather like a stop-motion animator, in a way the cobot learns and can then repeat. Such 'plug and play' capabilities, combined with their portable size, makes them flexible – able to be switched to different tasks elsewhere on the production line. 'Cobots can help companies improve productivity, quality and consistency by introducing automation at lower effort, and with less disruption to the existing production line, than traditional robots,' said Susanne Bieller, general secretary of the IFR. Morgan of the AMRC said cobots provide smaller companies with a 'soft entry' to robotics and automation. The flexible nature of the technology has led to their adoption for a multitude of tasks. In the manufacturing industry, for example, cobots assemble products by manipulating their constituent parts together, fixing them with screws or glue, spraying them with paint, and even performing visual quality control. They are also ideal for 'pack-and-place' warehouse tasks, picking up products and arranging them in boxes or pallets for storage or shipping without the risk of damage that human involvement can bring. [ How robots are helping to set a sustainable course for Irish farming Opens in new window ] Cobots are increasingly used in welding, a skill in decline in many markets, and in the plastics industry for tasks that are potentially hazardous for humans such as polishing and injection moulding. But the vast range of appendages to their arms means the possibilities are virtually endless. Leading makers of cobots include Denmark's Universal Robots, Japan's Fanuc, ABB of Switzerland and Germany's Kuka, which claims to have created the first commercial version of the technology. But surging demand has created 'quite a crowded market', according to Morgan, with a steady flow of new entrants. Like industrial robots, cobots can work faster and with greater precision than people, raising the prospect that they could eventually replace the workforce. But advocates of automation say productivity gains help companies grow, which normally leads to larger rather than smaller workforces. Morgan of the AMRC acknowledged that when robots or cobots are put into a factory, 'it's fair to say that the process they're part of has less humans in it', but he said displaced individuals were usually deployed in other parts of the business. He added that robotics 'tends to help with the four 'Ds' – tasks that are difficult, dangerous, dull or dirty', for which it can be difficult to hire workers. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
International Fleet Review and MILAN to be conducted in Visakhapatnam in February 2026
An International Fleet Review will be organised in Visakhapatnam in the third week of February 2026 under the auspices of the Indian Navy. The IFR is described as an international maritime exercise conducted to improve relations with the navies of different countries. In this regard, Chief of Staff of the Visakhapatnam-based Eastern Naval Command (ENC) Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena met Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand to discuss about the IFR and the conduct of MILAN-2026. Visakhapatnam district Collector Harendhira Prasad and officials of the VMRDA and Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) participated in the meeting virtually. Mr. Vijayanand assured that the government would provide all support to make the event a grand success. 'The conduct of IFR will not only benefit India internationally but also Andhra Pradesh in particular. Visakhapatnam will get good recognition. Similarly, it will get international recognition in terms of tourism,' the Chief Secretary observed. He said since the President, the Prime Minister, and other dignitaries would be attending the fleet review, appropriate arrangements should be made accordingly. 'In view of the IFR, there is a need to take steps to beautify Visakhapatnam in all respects, especially in terms of improving roads, beautification, and installation of lights,' he advised the Visakhapatnam Collector, the VMRDA, the VPA, the NHAI, and the ENC officials. The Chief Secretary further called for speedy completion of various civil works that were in progress. He advised Mr. Harendhira Prasad to take steps to improve beautification and other infrastructure. Mr. Sameer Saxena said the IFR and MILAN-2026 would be held in Visakhapatnam from February 14 to 24. He said the President, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries would attend. He further said that 145 countries had been invited, and naval chiefs and representatives of these countries would participate. Principal Secretary (GAD) Mukesh Kumar Meena, Municipal Administration Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar, IFR Commodore Aby Mathew, AP Naval Officer-in-Charge Commodore Rajnish Sharma, Civil Military Liaison Officer Y.K. Krishna Rao participated in the meeting.
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Saudi Aramco seeks funds through three-part bond sale
Oil giant Saudi Aramco is seeking to raise funds through a dollar-denominated three-part bond sale, fixed income news service IFR reported on Tuesday. The debt deal, which is expected to be priced later in the day, will be benchmark-sized, which is usually considered to be at least $500 million. Earlier this month, Aramco reported a 4.6% drop in first quarter profits, citing lower sales and higher operating costs as economic uncertainty hit crude markets. Reuters reported last week that the oil giant is exploring potential asset sales to release funds as it pursues international expansion and weathers the impact of lower crude prices. Aramco on Tuesday set the indicative price for the five-year debt sale at 115 basis points over U.S Treasuries, while 10-year and 30-year portions carry initial price guidance of 130 and 185 bps respectively over the same benchmark, IFR said. Saudi Aramco considers asset sales to free up funds, sources say The company last turned to global debt markets in July last year when it raised $6 billion from a three-tranche bond sale. Saudi Arabia, which is seeking funds to invest in new industries and wean its economy away from oil under its Vision 2030 plan, has long relied on Saudi Aramco to support economic growth. Other Gulf issuers have tapped debt markets in recent months, braving a market turmoil caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies. They include Saudi Arabia's $925 billion sovereign wealth fund and Abu Dhabi's renewable energy firm Masdar, which last week raised $1 billion with a green bond.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Saudi Aramco seeks funds through three-part bond sale
May 27 (Reuters) - Oil giant Saudi Aramco ( opens new tab is seeking to raise funds through a dollar-denominated three-part bond sale, fixed income news service IFR reported on Tuesday. The debt deal, which is expected to be priced later in the day, will be benchmark-sized, which is usually considered to be at least $500 million. Earlier this month, Aramco reported a 4.6% drop in first quarter profits, citing lower sales and higher operating costs as economic uncertainty hit crude markets. Reuters reported last week that the oil giant is exploring potential asset sales to release funds as it pursues international expansion and weathers the impact of lower crude prices . Aramco on Tuesday set the indicative price for the five-year debt sale at 115 basis points over U.S Treasuries, while 10-year and 30-year portions carry initial price guidance of 130 and 185 bps respectively over the same benchmark, IFR said. The company last turned to global debt markets in July last year when it raised $6 billion from a three-tranche bond sale. Saudi Arabia, which is seeking funds to invest in new industries and wean its economy away from oil under its Vision 2030 plan, has long relied on Saudi Aramco to support economic growth. Other Gulf issuers have tapped debt markets in recent months, braving a market turmoil caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies. They include Saudi Arabia's $925 billion sovereign wealth fund and Abu Dhabi's renewable energy firm Masdar, which last week raised $1 billion with a green bond.
The Hindu
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Confiscate Reddy's ‘ill-gotten' money, says Hiremath
Terming the seven-year sentence awarded to mining baron and former Minister Janardhan Reddy as historic, founder-president of Samaj Parivartana Samudaya (SPS) S.R. Hiremath has urged both the Central and State governments to immediately take all steps to confiscate what he claimed Mr. Reddy's 'ill-gotten' money 'stashed' in India and abroad. Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on Monday, Mr. Hiremath said that the SPS and like-minded organisations are committed to continuing the legal battle to take the case to its logical conclusion. Mr. Hiremath said that while Principal Special Judge for CBI cases T. Raghu Ram delivered a historic judgement indicting Mr. Reddy and three others, including a former bureaucrat, and sentencing them to seven-year imprisonment in the Obulapuram Mining Company Private Ltd. (OMCPL) case, there are still 14 other criminal cases pertaining to illegal mining under trial. Mr. Hiremath said that the judgement had revealed the sordid story of collusion between the mining mafia and corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. Meanwhile, because of large-scale plundering of natural resources the people in the mining areas had to suffer, while the reports of the Karnataka Lokayukta and CEC are yet to be implemented by the governments, he said. He said that the judgement had come as a ray of hope for those fighting injustice especially by the mighty. The SPS and like-minded organisations will urge the governments to confiscate 'ill-gotten' money and utilise it for healing the wounds inflicted on nature and also on the people of the region. 'Extending support' Mr. Hiremath said that the National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources (NCPNR) will support the ongoing struggle of the Jenu Kuruba and Adivasi women, men and children from Nagarahole National Park Area asserting their claims of Individual Forest Rights (IFR), Community Forest Rights (CFR) and Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR) under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006. The NCPNR will urge the government to withdraw all forces, including the Forest Department, the State Police and the Karnataka State Tiger Protection Forces (STPF) which are currently forcibly trying to drive them out from their ancestral villages, including Karadikallu Hattur Kollehaadi from inside the Nagarahole forest, he said.
