Ann de Beer, the cobot and Frederik Langenhoven share a moment after the presentation.
First of all, what is a robot? Dictionary definitions vary, but the gist is that it is a machine which takes the place of a human being (so those things at street corners are actually robots!). In a highly entertaining technology evening presentation, Frederik Langenhoven of Cobots defined it as: “a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically”.
So what is a cobot?
Collaborative robots serve as a tool for operators; not devices that replace human workers. Although robots can do most things that used to be the preserve of people, there are applications where the human touch is still required, but robots are useful to do the heavy lifting. However, what if a human hand (or head) gets in the way of this powerful machine? Fortunately, there are standards that cobots must adhere to where there is unobstructed human-robot collaboration: EN ISO 13849-1 and EN ISO 10218-1. To demonstrate how this is done, throughout the evening a drinks trolley was circulating, conveniently pausing whenever someone got in the way.
Also present, was another device looking more like what most of us probably imagine a robot to be: something with arms that move and rotate. Frederik demonstrated how this, too, can stop when a hand, for instance, is detected. He also showed how this cobot can be trained – very simply, by manually moving its actuator, hitting a key, and moving it to its next location, etc.
The 2019 committee (left to right): Andre Eybers, Eric Carter, Dean Floyd, Cheryl Hird, Laura van der Merwe and Ann De Beer.
Durban branch
SAIMC
At the Durban branch of the SAIMC held in October, Mitch Naidoo took the attendees on an interesting journey on Asset Health Management: Tracking The Pulse Of Your Plant.
Read more...SAIMC: Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
At the Durban branch of the SAIMC held in October, Mitch Naidoo took the attendees on an interesting journey on Asset Health Management: Tracking The Pulse Of Your Plant.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Johannesburg Branch technical evening was hosted by Proconics Advanced Solutions. The topic of the session was ‘Turning Big 3D Data into Actionable Engineering Insights – Challenges and Smart Solutions’.
Read more...SAIMC User Advisory Council Annual Summit 2025 SAIMC
SAIMC
October 2025 marked a pivotal moment for the South African automation and manufacturing community as the SAIMC User Advisory Council hosted its first annual summit under the SAIMC banner.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg
SAIMC
The Johannesburg Branch of the SAIMC hosted a successful Technology Evening on 10 September. The event was well attended and generously sponsored by Phoenix Contact.
Read more...SAIMC: Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
At SAIMC Durban’s October Technology Evening, Nico Erasmus delivered a thought-provoking presentation on a topic close to every automation professional’s heart: PLC and Drive Manufacturer Generational Hardware - UpGrades, UpGates or UpRates?
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The Johannesburg Branch of the SAIMC hosted a successful Technology Evening on 10 September. The event was well attended and generously sponsored by Phoenix Contact.
Read more...Why ECSA matters SAIMC
SAIMC
I always knew I had to register as a Professional Engineer. Then I opened the registration guidelines.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version