Cobots in Industry 5.0 are partners for humans, not their replacements. Their key role is to augment human capabilities, take over monotonous and non-ergonomic tasks, and create a flexible, safe production environment where humans and machines work together effectively.
What exactly is Industry 5.0 and why does it emphasize people?
While Industry 4.0 focused on digitization, data, and full automation, Industry 5.0 represents its evolution. It adds three key pillars to advanced technology: a human-centered approach, sustainability, and resilience to change.
The goal is no longer to replace humans with machines, but to create synergy. We leverage what humans do best – creativity, flexibility, and critical thinking – and combine it with the power of machines, namely precision, repeatability, and continuous operation. This is where collaborative robots, or cobots, play a key role.
Cobot, or collaborative robot – what does it mean in practice?
Forget about large industrial robots that are difficult to move around to change their function. A cobot is a robot designed to work directly with humans in a shared workspace.
In practice, this means that the cobot is equipped with advanced sensors that immediately stop it in case of contact with a person or an obstacle. What is more, it is easy to program (often it is enough to manually guide its arm for it to remember the movement) and mobile enough that it can be easily moved to another workstation when production needs change.
When is a cobot a better choice than a traditional industrial robot?
The decision on which technology to choose depends on the specifics of your production. Cobots are ideal for processes that are variable and require precision, but also flexibility that a fully automated line cannot provide. We are talking about tasks such as assembly, packaging, CNC machine operation, and quality control.
Comparison table: Cobot vs. Industrial Robot
Feature | Cobot (Collaborative Robot) | Traditional Industrial Robot |
Programming | Intuitive, often “lead-through” | Complex, requires specialized knowledge |
Application | Variable, flexible, small-scale tasks | Fixed, defined, mass production |
Return on investment (ROI) | Fast, thanks to flexibility and lower implementation costs | Longer, requires large-scale production |
Size and mobility | Small, easy to carry | Large, stationary |
What are the biggest concerns when implementing cobots and how can they be addressed?
Every technology investment raises questions and concerns. At DBR77, we understand them because we talk to people like you every day. Here are the three most common ones and our practical answers.
Concern #1: “Will this investment definitely pay off?”
- Problem: Fear of high capital expenditure (CAPEX) costs and lack of control over the actual profitability of machines.
- Solution: Before spending a single dollar, test your idea in a virtual environment. Digital Twin technology allows you to create an accurate simulation of your production line. You can place a virtual cobot in it, check its impact on productivity, identify bottlenecks, and accurately calculate your return on investment (ROI). This means making decisions based on hard data, not intuition.
Concern #2: “How do I know where a cobot will be most beneficial?”
- Problem: The lack of objective data from the production line means that you don’t know where you are really losing time and money.
Solution: The basis of any effective optimization is collecting production data. Modern production monitoring systems, such as DBR77 IoT, give you an instant picture of machine efficiency (OEE), causes of downtime, and hidden losses. By analyzing this data, you can accurately identify the process whose automation will bring the greatest and fastest benefits.
Concern #3: “Will my employees be able to handle this?”
- Problem: Fear of team resistance and lack of relevant technical skills.
- Solution: Cobots are designed for ease of use. A manufacturing facility employee with no programming knowledge can teach a cobot a new task in just a few minutes. This not only lowers the barrier to entry, but also changes the role of the operator from executor to process supervisor. It is an opportunity to develop skills and increase team engagement.
How to implement a cobot step by step with guaranteed success?
Effective robotics and automation is not about purchasing a machine, but rather a well-thought-out process. To ensure success, it is worth following a proven plan that minimizes risk and maximizes results.
Table: 4 steps to effective automation with a cobot
| Step | Operation | DBR77 tools | Key benefit |
| Audit and Data | Identify processes for optimization by collecting production data. | A decision based on hard data, not assumptions. | |
| Simulation | Create a digital twin of the line and test different scenarios with a cobot. | ROI verification and layout optimization without financial risk. | |
| Selection | Find verified suppliers and integrators in one place. | Time savings and access to competitive, transparent offers. | |
| Implementation and Monitoring | Implement the solution and monitor its effectiveness (OEE) on an ongoing basis. | DBR77 IoT | Confidence that the investment brings real, measurable benefits. |
FAQ – Frequently asked questions
In most standard applications – no. Basic tasks, such as moving parts, are programmed by simply dragging the robot arm and recording successive points on the touch panel. For more complex applications that use, for example, industrial AI or vision systems, the support of an experienced integrator will be crucial.
How does finding an integrator through Marketplace DBR77 differ from searching on Google?
A platform such as DBR77 Marketplace brings together only verified suppliers with proven expertise and experience. Instead of sending dozens of inquiries, you submit one and receive comparable, standardized offers from several companies. This saves you a lot of time, provides greater transparency, and ensures that you are working with a trusted partner.
This is a scenario that can be avoided by preparation, i.e., steps 1 and 2 (data analysis and simulation in a digital twin). However, if a problem does occur, continuous production monitoring using an IoT system will allow you to immediately diagnose the cause. You will find out whether the problem is the cobot’s operation itself, the availability of materials, the failure of another machine on the line, or perhaps the organization of work at the workstation.
You don’t have to take risks to see the potential of automation.
Test your robotization ideas in the virtual world. Schedule a meeting and see how, with the help of the DBR77 Digital Twin, you can check the ROI of your investment before spending a single dollar.