WeAreCobots APAC Virtual Expo

In case you missed the memo, APAC’s largest online collaborative robot experience occurred last week: the WeAreCobots Virtual Expo, APAC edition. The event ran from October 6th to 8th, featuring 15 keynotes by automation experts, 45 live demonstrations, 100+ documents available for download, 9 Universal Robots+ partner exhibit booths, and 30 automation professionals available to answer inquiries of manufacturers across the region.

The "Meet the Cobot Leaders" keynote session featured a live online interactive congress on cobots and their role in the future of manufacturing throughout the Asia-Pacific. The event ran on 6 October 2020, from 10:30 to 11:15 AM (IST). Cobot luminaries Jürgen von Hollen (President of Universal Robots), James McKew (Regional Director, APAC, Universal Robots), and Dr. Che Fai Yeong (Director of DF Automation and Robotics and Associate Professor at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia), answered important questions from industry practitioners and attendees, with practical insights on post-pandemic manufacturing, and how manufacturers in Asia-Pacific can be future-ready. Dr. Yeong - a name associated with robotics and inventions in Malaysia, and a winner of more than 100 awards nationally and internationally - moderated the session.

There was also a session titled 'Conquering Manufacturing in the COVID-19 Era with Cobots - Customer Spotlight: Continental India' at 12:30-1:15 PM (IST) on October 7th, 2020. The session featured Pradeep David (General Manager, South Asia) along with Amar Burud, Senior Manager - Industrial Engineering, who highlighted Continental India's journey with cobots enabling zero downtime.

COVID-19 and Challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 exacerbated existing challenges and exposed new vulnerabilities for manufacturers around the world.

The serious disruption to supply chains, sudden material shortages, and steep swings in demand left manufacturers grappling with changes. Labor-intensive manufacturing has been hit painfully by the regional governments' COVID-19 measures of extended lockdowns and social distancing.

But such measures present an opportunity for labor-centric manufacturers to rethink their operations, on ways to keep production going while adhering to regulatory measures, without sacrificing cost efficiency, and to future-proof operations for more resilience. 

"In Asia-Pacific, business owners and operators have to juggle costs, value creation, and profit. In some locales where real estate is costly, such as Singapore and other metropolitan cities, cobots can be a tremendous help in maximising floor space with human operators and cobots working in tandem to achieve the highest levels of production while adhering to physical distancing guidelines."

~ James McKew, Regional Director of APAC, Universal Robots

Surmounting challenges with innovation

Cobots have been the perfect nimble tool for many innovative applications throughout the world, and especially in emerging ASEAN markets where the adoption rates of cobots and other industrial robots have been steadily outpacing the established Western markets.

This is especially since Universal Robots' cobots do not require professional engineers or software developers to utilise the cobots, as anyone with an ability to operate a simple graphical tablet will be able to program cobots after some basic training.

Cobots have found their way into medical applications because of the COVID-19 crisis, with applications such as swab testing, sterilisation, and mobilised disinfection, including the disinfection of aircraft seat arm rests to alleviate the possibility of repetitive strain injuries or even infections in humans.

Cobots have also ensured business continuity in India. Multinational PC-manufacturer Dell saw a huge increase in demands for laptops as work-from-home and online schooling suddenly surged. With the help of multiple cobots in their assembly lines, Dell was able to meet these increased demands while also ensuring social distancing on the shop floor, with humans and cobots working together.

Even smaller businesses like Krishi Group, a Bangalore-based SME supplying irrigation equipment, was able to use their cobot to meet the demands of farmers, despite operating with only 50-60 per cent of their usual staff.

"In today's transient and volatile world, it is no longer possible to readily or easily forecast forward trends. It is therefore critical for any company to be flexible and agile. Businesses and leaders have to leverage on the best available technologies, such as cobots, to empower innovative applications for businesses to adjust dynamically to situations and crises, and to adapt existing infrastructures to address organisational and customers' needs."

~ Jürgen von Hollen, President, Universal Robots

"We foresee cobots to grow exponentially in the very near future in our ASEAN region, especially in the small and medium businesses (SMBs) segment. COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of cobots in many industries. I believe Universal Robots to be a pre-eminent leader in steering the development and adoption of cobots in our region to help businesses succeed against obsolescence, especially since their cobots are especially easy to learn and operate," said Dr. Yeong, moderator of "Meet the Cobot Leaders" conference, and Director of DF Automation and Robotics.

"Meet the Cobot Leaders'' was part of "WeAreCobots APAC", the first collaborative robots virtual expo in Asia Pacific, hosted by Universal Robots. From October 6th to 8th, 2020, participants could gain enriching insights from more than a hundred automation experts on overcoming manufacturing challenges in Asia-Pacific, visit a wide array of UR+ partner exhibition booths, select from 45 live demos and interact with industry experts.

"Meet the Cobot Leaders" and All 15 online keynote sessions, including "Meet the Cobot Leaders" will be on-demand at the WeAreCobots site until November 7th, 2020.