Cobots, also known as co-robots or simply as collaborative robots, were invented in 1996 by J. Edward Colgate and Michael Peshkin, two Northwestern University professors. The idea was born in 1994 from a project funded by General Motors with the aim of creating self-sufficient and knowledgeable machines interacting in a complex way with people.
The term “Cobot” was coined by Northwestern University research fellow Brent Gillespie, who won $ 50 for the idea.
They are considered the industrial robots of the future, if once robots carried out their work autonomously, now in the Industry 4.0 the aim is to create machines that can interact with the human component of the company in order to make work more efficient for both sides.
There are two types of collaborative robots, "cobotized" robots and "native" cobots. The first ones are traditional robots made suitable for work in open areas thanks to the sensorized "skin", while the last ones are destined to direct and continuous contact with the staff from their birth.
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