Factory robotization
Factory robotization: machine vision and operation monitoring
Cobotory develops robotization for operations a standard robot arm cannot handle: machine vision that checks manual operations and defects, operator assistance on assembly lines, and autonomous mobile platforms for moving around the plant. Everything runs on edge hardware inside the facility and is built for the specific process as an R&D project with trials and IP transfer.
28–32 fps
Hand and object recognition in trials
Edge
Video processed on site, no cloud
IP
Rights transferred to the client
Problems we solve
Monitoring manual operations
A camera above the workstation recognises the operator's hands and parts, checks the order and completeness of operations and warns before a faulty unit moves down the line.
Machine vision
Object and defect recognition on an edge device — video never leaves the plant and the system works offline.
Incident prevention
Vision spots unsafe hand positions and broken procedures and alerts the operator — a basis for line-side safety systems.
Autonomous mobile platforms
ROS 2 wheeled platforms with SLAM and operator-free navigation for moving loads and patrolling set routes.
When it fits
- The operation is manual and cannot be handed to a robot arm, yet quality and procedure must be controlled.
- No off-the-shelf product fits: the process is unique and the system must learn your parts.
- Video cannot go to the cloud — for security reasons or because there is no connectivity.
- You want a pilot on one workstation before rolling out to the line.
Track record: assembly-line operation monitoring
We built and tested a system that monitors personnel operations on an assembly line, assists the operator and prevents incidents, funded by a FASIE Start-AI grant. Trials ran at 28–32 frames per second with the line moving at 0.8 km/h. The software is registered with Rospatent, No. 2024663972 of 14 June 2024.
How it works on the line
Test-bench footage, July 2024. Two tracking cameras and one static camera watch the workstation; the system recognises hands, parts and boxes (including at 6 km/h), spots collisions and prompts the operator with light and sound.
Recognising operator hands on the line
Recognising parts on a moving conveyor, 0.8 km/h
Recognising boxes on a conveyor, 6 km/h
Detecting abnormal situations and collisions
Light pointer at the operator's workstation
Audio alerts for the operator
Robotization questions
Do you install industrial robot arms?
We are not an integrator of serial robot arms. We develop what does not come in a box — machine vision, operation monitoring, tactile grasping, mobile platforms — and can work alongside the integrator who installs the arm.
How does a project start?
With one workstation: we study the process, agree on success criteria and run a pilot. Roll-out is decided on the pilot's trial results.
Do you need internet or the cloud?
No. Recognition runs on an edge device next to the camera; video stays on site.
Related
Tell us about the workstation
Describe the operation you want to automate or monitor and we will propose a pilot.