Robot as a third hand

Robot as a third hand

Production worker Dietmar Brauner feared his 30-year career at Ford was over after recurring health problems led to limited mobility in his shoulder and wrist. However, he has now been given a robot to help him with demanding tasks. The robot was developed to support people with limited mobility and disabled people in their daily work. Robbie takes on tasks that Dietmar Brauner would otherwise only be able to handle with difficulty or not at all. After a successful 18-month test, the company is considering putting additional collaborative robots into operation to create job opportunities for those affected.

"Over the years it has become more and more difficult for me to do my job. Then this little robot comes along and it almost feels like I have an extra arm - a very strong extra arm," says Dietmar Brauner. After around a year of research, development and employee training, the cobot – a play on the words collaborative and robot – is now working at the Ford engine plant in Cologne. There, together with his human partner, he inserts VCT solenoid coils into an oiler, then picks up the solenoid coils and presses them into the front cover of the engine block. This work requires forces that can be stressful over the long term, even for healthy workers, and which the cobot now takes over for humans. For safety reasons, Robbie only moves when activated by Dietmar. The small machine can also use sensors to recognize hands and fingers and thus avoid dangerous situations. “We have implemented a human-centered workplace that is unique in our industry,” says Mathias Hüsing, professor at RWTH Aachen University, which supports the project.