The Shadow Robot Co (www.shadowrobot.com) recently confirmed that it is now a partner in COROMA (cognitively enhanced robot for flexible manufacturing of metal and composite parts) — a European project (www.coroma-project.eu) with a budget of more than 7 million euros that is being coordinated by the IK4-IDEKO technology centre.

The purpose of the project is to develop a modular robotic system capable of carrying out numerous manufacturing tasks “that are adapted to production requirements”.

These tasks will include drilling, trimming, deburring, polishing, sanding and non-destructive testing.

To achieve its requirements, the robotic system will be equipped with a simple interface, allowing it to receive basic commands that require a minimum of operator programming.

Modularity is also a key aspect of the system, as it will need to be adapted to the specific requirements of different manufacturing companies.

Rich Walker, managing director of Shadow Robot Co, said: “We are really happy to be involved in this consortium. We see manufacturing as the next market we want to enter, and working on this project helps us to achieve that.

“COROMA brings together the best of European technology organisations, and I think it will be a very exciting journey to work with them and see this technology evolve.”