After working at Ford’s powertrain plant in Cologne, Germany, for years, Dietmar Brauner found his job becoming more difficult as a result of a recurring health issue that led to reduced mobility in his shoulder and wrist. Now, though, thanks to a little robot pet that he has named “Robbie the Cobot,” Brauner is able to do more work.
“Over the years, it got harder and harder for me to do my job,” said Brauner. “Then, along comes this little robot and, for me, it’s like having an extra arm — a very strong extra arm.”
Together, the pair work to attach circular covers to engines. Brauner places two covers in a holder, then prompts Robbie to pick them up and press them firmly into place. That, then, allows the human to step in and screw the covers into place and move them down the line.
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And they’ve been working together well as part of an 18-month trial period that has been so successful that Ford is now keeping Robbie at the plant on a permanent basis. The project could also lead to more cobots being installed in the production facility to broaden working opportunities to a more diverse range of people.
Brauner and Robbie have been particularly helpful in that regard because their coworking has proven that robots can operate safely without the need for protective devices or safety barriers. Robbie moves only when Brauner activates it and has sensors that can tell, for example, when a human’s hands are in the way.
“We have implemented a human-centered workplace unique to the industry,” said Mathias Hüsing, a professor at RWTH Aachen University, which worked with Ford to develop Robbie the Cobot. “Following the success of this project, we are now implementing such workplaces in other projects specifically for disabled people. Suddenly, the possibilities seem endless for human-cobot collaborations.”
For Brauner, meanwhile, the project has meant an enormous amount.
“It’s changed everything,” he said. “I hope that it will open the door for others like me to get the chance to do, or keep doing, the jobs they love.”
