Collaborative Robots and Their Aerospace Manufacturing Applications

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The following article is from Aerospace Defense Observer, author Development Center Dai Sheng, reprinted from Strategic Frontier Technology.

Abstract: Compared to traditional industrial robots, collaborative robots have four main characteristics: low cost, flexible deployment, strong safety, and ease of use. They can fully combine machine efficiency and human intelligence, better adapting to the personalized production needs of enterprises of different scales, and have become one of the main development trends in industrial robots. Currently, many research institutions, robot manufacturers, and innovative technology companies in the US, Europe, and Japan are jointly developing process equipment based on collaborative robots in cooperation with aerospace manufacturing giants such as Airbus, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin, striving to accelerate the formation of a new intelligent “generation gap” in aerospace manufacturing.

1. Introduction

Collaborative Robots and Their Aerospace Manufacturing Applications

According to the definition of ISO 10218-2, a collaborative robot (Cobot) refers to a robot that interacts directly with humans within a defined collaborative workspace. Collaborative robots do not require the safety barriers or cages of traditional industrial robots and can interact directly with humans in the collaborative area; they can be categorized into fixed-position and mobile types based on platform flexibility and into single-arm and dual-arm types based on structural form.

Essentially, collaborative robots are still industrial robots and not a completely new structure. In simple terms, traditional industrial robots focus more on precision and speed, while collaborative robots emphasize human-machine safety coexistence and ease of operation. The main differences between the two are shown in Table 1. Collaborative robots and traditional industrial robots are merely two types of industrial products based on different market positioning; traditional industrial robots are an important part of production lines, while collaborative robots are used to assist or replace human roles in production lines.

Traditional industrial robots occupy large spaces, have long implementation cycles, high deployment costs, and are difficult to use, gradually hindering the flexibility of production lines. Collaborative robots, with their low cost, flexible deployment, strong safety, and ease of use, better meet the production characteristics of aerospace equipment, such as multiple varieties, variable batches, and changing batches, reducing human participation in simple repetitive and hazardous tasks, lowering the mechanical labor intensity of workers, accelerating the production rhythm on the manufacturing site, thereby improving overall production efficiency and product quality, while alleviating labor shortages. Therefore, the US, Europe, and Japan have all strategically supported the development of collaborative robots, widely applying process equipment based on collaborative robots in the aerospace manufacturing field. By 2023, the global market size of collaborative robots is expected to grow from $744 million in 2017 to $3.281 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of 31.9%.

Table 1 Major Differences Between Traditional Industrial Robots and Collaborative Robots

2. The US, Europe, and Japan Support the Development of Collaborative Robots with National Strategies for Widespread Application in Aerospace

Collaborative Robots and Their Aerospace Manufacturing Applications

(1) The US Accelerates Innovation with National Robotics Program, Focusing on Collaborative Robots for Smart Factory Layouts

The US government places great importance on the research and application of collaborative robots, viewing them as a key direction for advanced robotics technology and even smart manufacturing development.

In 2011, the US released the “National Robotics Plan 1.0” aimed at accelerating the development and use of robots through innovative research and applications, achieving a symbiotic relationship between collaborative robots and human partners. In 2017, the US released the “National Robotics Plan 2.0,” focusing on basic technology research under the policy of “Universality: Seamless Integration of Collaborative Robots,” aiming to achieve assistance from collaborative robots in various aspects of human work, facilitating interaction and collaboration between multiple humans and multiple robots. In the same year, the US Department of Defense led the establishment of the Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Innovation Institute under the National Manufacturing Innovation Network plan. From 2017 to 2021, after multiple rounds of project solicitations, the Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Innovation Institute successively released 18 projects related to the application of collaborative robot technology. As shown in Figure 1, the proportion of collaborative robots in the projects released annually by the Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Innovation Institute has remained above 25%, with an overall proportion of about 41%.

Figure 1 Statistics of Projects from the Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Innovation Institute from 2018 to 2021

Currently, the US has clearly identified collaborative robots as a necessary component of domestic manufacturing upgrades. In 2017, Boeing’s Melbourne research team successfully implemented collaborative labor including assembly, processing, and maintenance using the Danish Universal Robots UR10 collaborative robot, saving operators hundreds of hours from repetitive and hazardous grinding tasks. In 2018, NASA’s Langley Research Center developed an automated inspection system for aircraft fuselages using two UR10 collaborative robots, capable of accurately moving inspection equipment to the inspection area along a pre-programmed path and executing inspections, requiring only one operator to oversee the entire inspection process. By deploying Universal Robots’ collaborative robots, Tool Gauge, a manufacturer of precision aerospace components, saved 75% of labor costs while doubling production output.

Figure 2 Langley Research Center Collaborating with Two UR10 Robots

The US also views collaborative robots as essential infrastructure for future smart factories, focusing on business process restructuring around collaborative robots. The under-construction Lockheed Martin “Porch Center” satellite factory and Airbus’s Florida satellite factory have already planned the task roles of collaborative robots to support flexible manufacturing of small satellites.

For future applications of collaborative robots, US research institutions are attempting to achieve deeper, higher-level human-robot collaboration through more immersive human-machine interaction methods. In 2018, MIT, supported by companies like Boeing, developed a human-robot collaboration system based on brain-machine interfaces. By detecting brain and muscle activity, operators can issue commands to collaborative robots using gestures, enabling more complex and precise operations; on the other hand, by repeatedly learning operators’ EEG and EMG signals, robots can autonomously complete tasks such as picking, sorting, lifting, and drilling.

Figure 3 MIT Achieving Human-Robot Collaboration Through EEG and EMG Signals

(2) The EU Continues to Invest in Core Technologies Through Framework Programs, Mainly Targeting Collaborative Robot Deployment in Aerospace Manufacturing

The EU’s eighth framework program (FP8) – the “Horizon 2020” program, provided about $780 million for robotics research and innovation from 2014 to 2020 in three phases. In terms of core robotics technologies, the “Horizon 2020” program focuses on issues such as artificial intelligence and cognition, cognitive mechatronics, and human-robot interaction collaboration, with a total budget of $173 million. Among them, 18 projects related to collaborative robots received funding of up to $71 million. As shown in Figure 4, the annual funding amount for collaborative robot technology has consistently remained above $4.06 million, with an average annual funding amount of $11.91 million, especially outstanding during the third phase from 2018 to 2020. In 2021, the EU launched the “European Manufacturing Partnership” program, which includes four specific goals, one of which is “human-centered driven manufacturing innovation.” This goal states that it is necessary to accelerate the development of faster and more flexible human-robot collaborative systems at the EU level, achieving the best way for humans and collaborative robots to jointly distribute and execute tasks.

Figure 4 Statistics of Collaborative Robot Projects Under the “Horizon 2020” Program

Since 2015, using KUKA’s mobile collaborative robots, Dutch Fokker Aerospace and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Research have achieved flap drilling, sealant spraying, material handling, quality inspection, and satellite assembly assistance for Airbus A350 and other aircraft models, liberating operators from simple tasks, reducing working hours, and enhancing repeatability.

In 2018, with funding from the UK High Value Manufacturing Strategy Catapult Center, the Advanced Manufacturing Research Center (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield built an integrated demonstration verification unit for testing collaborative robots. This unit demonstrated how to safely implement human-robot collaboration through technical demonstration cases, enhancing UK enterprises’ confidence in introducing and integrating collaborative robot technology. At the same time, the AMRC tested new safety standards for different types of collaborative robots awaiting approval, ultimately formulating the UK’s golden standard for collaborative robot safety.

With the support of AMRC, BAE Systems deployed fixed-position collaborative robot workstations based on KUKA’s technology for the assembly of Typhoon and Storm fighter components in 2018 and 2020. In these workstations, robots primarily execute highly repetitive tasks, automatically adapting to different skill levels of workers, and can load the best operating configurations for each worker. Robots can guide workers through demonstration of actual tasks, using optical assistance to prompt operators to select components for assembly, and can also autonomously pick components through optical recognition, greatly enhancing assembly efficiency and quality.

In 2020, German Baur Automation showcased a mobile collaborative robot system for aerospace manufacturing, including self-developed collaborative robots and omnidirectional mobile platforms. Through modular end-effectors, this system can perform various tasks such as drilling, grinding, and sealing, and features digital twin-based process simulation capabilities, providing augmented reality interaction means for quality inspection directed at operators.

Figure 5 Baur Automation’s Mobile Human-Robot Collaborative Robot

Regarding the future applications of collaborative robots, Airbus, in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center and the French National Center for Scientific Research, implemented the “COMANOID” project supported by the “Horizon 2020” program, introducing humanoid collaborative robots into aerospace assembly lines to handle the most cumbersome and physically demanding manufacturing tasks in factories, freeing skilled workers to complete higher-value tasks. The research results will be directly applied in Airbus’s global factories over the next decade.

Figure 6 Airbus’s Humanoid Collaborative Robot

(3) Japan Vigorously Promotes Collaborative Robots Due to Aging Population and Low Birth Rate, Utilizing Collaborative Robots to Accumulate Workers’ Labor Experience

In 2015, the Japanese government announced the “New Robot Strategy” framework, including important service sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, and agriculture. In the 2016 “Manufacturing White Paper,” the Japanese government further pointed out that big data and robotics technology are necessary means to address aging and low birth rates. In 2017, the Japanese government proposed “Connected Industry,” aiming to create a new value-added industrial society through various connections, including connections between things, collaboration between people and devices and systems, mutual correlation between people and technology, and the inheritance of existing experiences and knowledge. In 2020, Hitachi, in collaboration with the German Academy of Engineering, published a research report titled “Revitalizing Human-Robot Interaction to Promote Social Progress,” discussing how to alleviate the social issues of aging human resources and insufficient backups in the manufacturing industry through revitalizing human-robot collaborative interactions based on the realities of aging and low birth rates in Japan. Therefore, to promote the popularity and application of collaborative robots, the Japanese government has provided preferential policies for both collaborative robot R&D companies and companies using collaborative robots, such as tax reductions and low-interest loans.

Leveraging its position as the world’s largest industrial robot manufacturing country, Japan has successively launched emerging products such as humanoid collaborative robots and learning collaborative robots. Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ dual-arm humanoid collaborative robot not only collaborates with workers but can also collaborate with other robots through its wheeled base. It was used in Airbus’s Spanish plant for A380 component assembly as early as 2015.

In recent years, due to the accelerated aging of its population, Japan has placed greater emphasis on utilizing collaborative robots to accumulate workers’ labor experience and behavioral patterns. Yaskawa Electric launched the HC10 and HC20XP collaborative robots in 2015 and 2020, respectively. Operators can directly move the arms of HC10/20, teaching the robots task operations through guided movements. In 2017, Kawasaki Heavy Industries launched a new type of collaborative robot named “Successor.” Through artificial intelligence algorithms, the “Successor” can repeatedly learn operator movements and accurately reproduce fine actions that require fine-tuning, thereby precisely completing previously difficult-to-automate manual operations, passing on workers’ accumulated experience. Currently, the “Successor” is being applied in Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Nishi-Kobe plant and will be deployed in global factories in the future, achieving online monitoring and remote collaboration.

Figure 7 Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ “Successor” Collaborative Robot System

3. China’s Collaborative Robot Technology Has Low Autonomy, Difficulty in Application in Aerospace

Collaborative Robots and Their Aerospace Manufacturing Applications

China is the largest market for collaborative robots globally, with sales reaching 15,663 units in 2021 and an estimated sales exceeding 30,000 units in 2023, showing explosive growth. The domestic market has formed a complete collaborative robot industry chain, initially possessing the capability for autonomous production and supporting capabilities from upstream core components to midstream body manufacturing and downstream system integration and application. Rapidly emerging domestic brands such as AUBO Intelligent, JAKA, Elite, and Locus have achieved full localization of core components of AUBO Intelligent’s collaborative robots. However, compared to the current top levels in the US, Europe, and Japan, there are still gaps and shortcomings.

Firstly, the level of localization of core components is still low. Currently, most domestic collaborative robot production models are: imported core components + domestic body + semi-domestic system. Among them, the three core components of the speed reducer, servo system, and controller, which account for 70% of the cost of collaborative robots, are still mainly controlled by foreign companies. Although domestic brands such as Huichuan Technology, which focuses on servo systems, and Zhongda Lide, which focuses on speed reducers, have emerged as rapidly growing core component brands, currently 85% of the speed reducer market, 90% of the servo system market, and 80% of the controller market are still occupied by foreign brands, greatly impacting the technological innovation and cost reduction of domestic collaborative robots.

Secondly, the collaborative robot industry ecosystem still needs to be improved. As the pioneer and leading manufacturer of collaborative robots globally, Denmark’s Universal Robots was the first to launch the “UR+” ecosystem for its UR series collaborative robots in 2016, gathering 1,100 global partners including end-effector component manufacturers, kit suppliers, software developers, application manufacturers, certified integrators, and distributors. Meanwhile, most domestic collaborative robot manufacturers’ products have high overlap in appearance design and performance parameters, with serious product homogeneity, relying mainly on price advantages to expand the market, and have yet to build a similar-scale industrial ecosystem.

Thirdly, the application landing speed in the defense manufacturing sector is slow. Currently, the application scenarios of domestic collaborative robots are mainly concentrated in industries such as 3C electronics, automotive parts/electronics, healthcare, and catering, with significant breakthroughs in emerging industrial applications such as warehousing logistics and medical supplies. Compared to the active exploration and extensive depth in aerospace by the US, Europe, and Japan, the application layout of collaborative robots in China’s aerospace sector still lacks clear market demand, making promotion difficult and leading to slow landing speeds.

4. Recommendations

Collaborative Robots and Their Aerospace Manufacturing Applications

(1) Accelerate Core Components and Emerging Frontier Technology Research

Comprehensively research and assess the domestic collaborative robot industry chain, dividing general, key, and core development content from the technical system decomposition perspective to improve the localization rate of core components. On one hand, it is necessary to continuously increase R&D investment in specialized chips, encoders, speed reducers, servo systems, and controllers, especially to support the transformation of innovative achievements of leading enterprises in the mid and downstream sectors. On the other hand, it is crucial to proactively lay out emerging frontier technologies related to the development trends of collaborative robots, accelerating the integration of cognitive science, bionic structures, brain-like science, and other technologies with collaborative robot technology.

(2) Build a Complete Collaborative Robot Industry Ecosystem

Fully utilize existing industry alliances and other industry resources, focusing on guiding and supporting leading enterprises to build a platform-based, standardized open-source operating system for collaborative robots, so that various industries can rely on the operating system for application development, enriching the system ecosystem. Encourage and support universities, research institutes, vocational schools, and enterprises to jointly build training bases for talents related to collaborative robot industries through project cooperation, targeted commissioning, and skill competitions, improving the talent cultivation system for collaborative robots.

(3) Focus on Promoting Typical Demonstration Applications in Aerospace

The development of collaborative robots in the US and Europe has experienced a gradual evolution from fixed-position collaborative robots to mobile collaborative robots, characterized by a “small steps, fast runs” approach of deepening applications while exploring improvements. To meet the current needs of digital transformation in China’s manufacturing industry, it is necessary to combine the current military-civilian integration development strategy and the cultivation system for specialized and innovative “little giant” enterprises, relying on the advantages of research institutions in collaborative robot technology, and introducing leading domestic collaborative robot manufacturers. Through assessments of technological maturity and manufacturing maturity, a batch of typical demonstration applications involving different aerospace products should be formed, leveraging system advantages to focus on promoting the engineering application of collaborative robots.

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Collaborative Robots and Their Aerospace Manufacturing Applications

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