Despite continuous education and the success of human and robot collaboration, some employees still believe that robots were designed to take away humans’ jobs. However, Kim Povlsen, President of Universal Robots firmly believes that automation will merely ‘improve productivity and help maintain standards.’
Over the years, many have seen the positive, tangible results of implementing automation – and more specifically collaborative robots (cobots) – in the workplace. Now, as we continue into 2023, Povlsen adds that a shrinking workforce and rapidly ageing population gives rise to an intensifying labour crisis that can be solved through automation.
“In Australia and New Zealand, this is further exacerbated by the high cost of labour, yet it’s a fact that skilled labour remains crucial to the success of every economy,” comments Masayuki (Masa) Mase, Country Manager for Universal Robots.
Looking to Artificial Intelligence (AI), Masa comments that the likes of ChatGPT is currently in the spotlight due to its advanced technology and the heightened threat of job security. “There is no denying that AI is rapidly advancing, and we are learning more about it as it develops,” he says.
“When we look to the future, we believe that technology will further enable and empower humans; after all, technology is there to make our lives easier.”
Working towards an era of collaboration
Universal Robots has taken a firm stance on this topic of debate, as Masa explains: “At Universal Robots, we want people to work with robots, not like robots. We develop solutions that continuously redefine automation and believe that all of this can be made possible through a strong collaborative effort.”
As the name suggests, collaborative robots – or cobots – can operate alongside humans or independently. However, when looking to the ecosystem in which they operate, it’s clear that a strong sense of collaboration is required.
“We collaborate closely with all our partners – from distributors and UR+ partners to integrators and the workforce at large.”
From a head office point-of-view, Universal Robots works to make cobots easier to use for existing processes with Lars Agerlin, vice president of research and development saying: “We’re always looking for ways to make using cobots easier and more intuitive. The easier it is, the faster the deployment time, and the faster customers can start to address their applications.”
Technology should make things better, not worse
“Think of it as enhancing rather than replacing,” comments Masa. “I recently read an article written by our President, Kim Povlsen in which he said that what collaborative robots are doing now would have left everyone speechless 20 years ago, so imagine what will be done in the next 20 years.”
Universal Robots strives to continuously push the boundaries by redefining automation. “The world is ever-changing and there is so much that we can do to keep pace with the needs of human workers and employers in the 21st century.”
Robots are making a difference in peoples’ lives and adding value. “While cobots can be programmed and deployed for millions of tasks, these tasks are generally dull, dirty or dangerous,” he adds.
“The workforce should be handing over these tasks regardless, and focusing on adding value by undertaking meaningful tasks that add value and give them a greater sense of accomplishment.”
With generation Z now in the workforce, working alongside robots is a great way to appeal to the next generation of employees. “Interestingly, robots are making the manufacturing sector attractive and this is set to address the labour shortage that exists globally,” he concludes.
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Universal Robots has installed over 50,000 cobots worldwide.
For more information, please visit www.universal-robots.com
