U.S. manufacturing is on the rise at the same time that few workers are entering the labor pool. To meet the needs of the industry, some companies are starting to adopt collaborative robots or “cobots” that can operate alongside human technicians. By performing repetitive, strenuous tasks that were previously offshored to foreign labor, cobots can assist skilled technicians in precise manufacturing operations while supporting the expanding domestic industry.
Buffalo Manufacturing Works, operated by EWI, recently hosted a free public seminar to manufacturers and researchers to introduce them to cobots and their capabilities.