​Seoul deploys cooperative robots to help shoemakers

By Park Sae-jin Posted : March 18, 2020, 16:22 Updated : March 18, 2020, 16:22

[Courtesy of Seoul Digital Foundation]

SEOUL -- A skilled helping hand is always welcome at any workshops but having too many people inside a cramped space slows work down. Some craftsmen prefer to work alone or with only one apprentice to make the full use of their workspace.

Seoul Digital Foundation, a think-tank funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, came up with an idea of deploying compact cooperative robots to workshops. The think-tank said Wednesday that it has deployed helper robots to two shoe-making workshops in Seongsu-dong in a district known for shoemaking and metal works.

The robots received certification for safety and it is the first time for small workshops to adopt such helpers in South Korea.

A cooperative robot normally consists of a robot arm with multiple joints, about the size of a human arm. It has a replaceable manipulator that can be changed to other tools such as an ultrasonic cutter or a grinder. Cooperative robots are widely used at cramped spaces such as the kitchen of fried chicken restaurants and coffee shops.

The digital foundation said that cooperative robots would help shoemakers grind, cut and glue leather parts. They hold up shoe parts so that craftsmen can work while standing up with their backs straightened out. The robots can also pick up tools and pass them to workers.

In January, the state-run Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials unveiled a human-like manipulator for cooperative and industrial robots. The robot hand with three fingers and a thumb is connected to a robotic arm with 16 joints.
 
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