The impact of the arrival of robots is already being felt in a notable way in the world of work and everything indicates that it will result in significant job destruction. It is estimated that in 15 years almost 40% of the jobs on the planet could disappear due to automation and robotics. But these losses will not be caused exclusively by the replacement of workers with robots. The way robots are being used in the world of work is also changing. This article reviews the key technologies to reach this juncture and a range of examples of their current uses.
Robots began to be used on assembly lines several decades ago, but they performed very limited tasks, restricted to areas isolated from humans, such as on automobile assembly lines. They were large machines, not very intelligent, in the sense that they had to be preprogrammed by a human who was not aware of their surroundings. Therefore, for security reasons, they were generally installed inside closed areas with restricted access.
For several years, a new generation of robots has been emerging, the so-called collaborative robots or cobots, capable of working in coordination with humans, alternating in the execution of those tasks in which each one is more competent. These are robots that can be used in many ways in various application areas. In this way, you can amplify and complement each other's abilities. Unlike their predecessors, they incorporate force sensors that ensure the safety of humans with whom they share environments. In addition, they also do not require the same type of programming as robots of previous generations. Cobots are transforming the robotics market with applications in virtually any segment of activity.