Launched in 2015 to provide assistance with lightweight assembly tasks, ABB’s collaborative YuMi robot has since undertaken a raft of diverse applications in a variety of industries, and helped to show what can be achieved with robotic automation.

It is designed to allow humans and robots to work together on tasks that previously would have required safety barriers or cages.

ABB says that, with its dexterity and dual-arm 14-axis design, YuMi has played a key role in enhancing productivity and quality on production lines world-wide, from assembling electronics and electrical components to sorting chocolates in confectionery factories.

Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business, said: “By eliminating the need for bulky and expensive safety measures, YuMi has removed the physical and psychological barriers separating people from robots.

“Key to its popularity has been its friendly design, which mimics the size and movements of a human operator, and its ultra-low-weight padded arms, which allow it to safely move faster than other cobots.

“YuMi has proved to be incredibly popular, creating a new category of small collaborative robots for material handling and assembly and inspection, while broadening the appeal of collaborative robots in an expanding range of applications, from manufacturing to health-care and beyond.

“It has also captured the imagination of the public, appearing in music videos and popular TV shows, doing everything from making paper aeroplanes to performing card tricks. Underlying all of these fun applications is the serious message of how robots like YuMi are helping to change attitudes towards robotic automation.

“In helping to educate people about how robots can support our work, YuMi has paved the way for robots to be used in workplaces and factory floors world-wide.”

Andie Zhang, ABB Robotic’s global product manager (collaborative robots), said: “Customers tell us that people don’t find YuMi intimidating, because it has human-like features.

“We’ve also found that it tends to be quickly accepted as part of the team when introduced into manual production lines, as it tends to be used for boring and repetitive tasks, freeing operators to perform more varied and interesting jobs.”