Many suppliers now have cobots or robots suitable for HRC in their product range. The manufacturer Festo has taken an unusual approach: The Esslingen-based company relies on compressed air as a drive. The reasoning behind this is the sensitivity of the flexible pneumatics, which makes this type of drive particularly suitable for use close to humans.

But there are other advantages too: The direct drives in the joints are more cost-effective and particularly lightweight because, unlike electric solutions, no heavy gears and expensive force/torque sensors are required. Festo was able to draw on its many years of expertise in controlled pneumatics during development.

Promising cost-effectiveness for SMEs

The cobot should also make it economical for small and medium-sized companies, which are often characterized by manual work processes, to use cobots. The pneumatic Festo cobot should be cheaper than electric cobots in this class. It will offer an attractive price/performance ratio in its primary field of application of small parts handling with payloads of up to 3 kg. "When it goes on sale in 2023, the Festo Cobot will set new standards in human-robot collaboration with its ease of use," promises Dr. Frank Melzer, Chief Product and Technology Management Officer at Festo.

The Festo Cobot consists of the hardware itself, a hand module and the Robotic Suite, a software package for intuitive commissioning and programming. This package makes it possible to commission and program the Cobot in less than an hour. No previous knowledge of robotics is required, as the self-explanatory Robotic Suite software contains clearly visualized and standardized function blocks. Pneumatic drives allow the robot arm to be easily guided by hand without resistance in order to teach waypoints or paths quickly and precisely.

Lightweight construction methods

Thanks to lightweight construction methods, the Festo Cobot weighs only 17 kg. The Cobot's pneumatic direct drives and its low weight reduce its contact energy. Christian Tarragona, Head of Robotics at Festo: "Thanks to precise pressure regulators in the joints, the robot recognizes when it is touched and reacts with appropriate safety functions." The employee can cooperate with his prudent technical colleague in complete safety.

The model on show at the Festo stand at the Hannover Messe has already attracted some attention.