COROMA mapped on Significant innovations and lessons learned, training aspects

The COROMA modular platform is an innovative approach that has developed seven fuctional modules to improve the performance of already existing robotic systems:

• CORO-OPTIP: this module equips the robot with process awareness to detect, for example, vibrations during drilling that will trigger a reaction, or check tool wear if a sanding operation is being carried out.
• CORO-MOB provides the robot with mobility, so it can move autonomously through the workshop.
• CORO-SAFE offers artificial vision so that the robots can detect the presence of humans and make way.
• CORO-COOP focuses on providing developments for a communication platform so that the robot can interact with other machines and robots.
• CORO-SENSE is a vision module implemented by means of camera systems and laser technology, so that it can understand the environment and find the part on which they must work.
• CORO-PROG minimum programming module allows the robot to respond to operator’s instructions, and to respond to visual instructions in a simple way.
• CORO-HAND allows the robot to pick up tools and provide the system with dexterity.

COROMA provides the flexibility that European metalworking and advanced material manufacturing companies require to compete in the rapidly evolving global market.

COROMA will have a positive impact on employment in the European industry, as:

• companies using this new robot concept will require new, different professional profiles.
• European market share in robot production could go down if great innovation efforts are not made in this field.
• the effective collaboration between humans and robots will alleviate the most arduous manual tasks entailing repetitive joint and muscular movements. The automation of these operations will help to create highly specialized jobs in European industry, and to avoid the relocation of jobs that would otherwise be manual in countries with a lower hourly rate.

In this way, the overall results of the project are:

1. The creation of collaborative robot-machine environments
2. A positive impact for robot manufacturers
3. Boosting the implementation of robotics in component manufacturers

• Industry has a good disposition to integrate the techologies developed and applied in COROMA: we must continue approaching final applications of robots in manufacturing environment.
• Even though we've not reached TRL 9, it is clear from our industrial prototypes, that the results are good compared with those of manual operations.
• Even though the final system application substitutes manual operations, new high level tasks are created, so job loss is not a direct outcome from robotisation.
• In fact, high level Robotics and automation in European industry is a must in order to avoid manufacturing operations to migrate to low cost countries.
• There is a need of standards (safety/ risk assessment) for mobile robots in industrial environments.