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PSG College of Technology deployed the UR5 cobot, and incorporated collaborative robot technology in the curriculum for their BE Robotics and Automation Engineering program. Unlike the other traditional robots at PSG’s robotics lab, the UR5 operates without any safety cages, allowing students to carry out hands-on work and experiment with industrial applications. Being flexible and portable, the cobot is easily transported across the campus on trolleys between classrooms and robot labs. This ensures that teachers can demonstrate features of robots in real-time to students, making for an engaging and interactive educational experience.
Additionally, the UR5 enables customisation with its open source platform, making it ideal for students to experiment with different programs, and even create their own applications. The compliance with Robotic Operating System (ROS) further enables an easy understanding of industrial uses.
The Department of Heavy Industry, part of the Government of India, funded PSG College’s Center of Excellence to not only educate the students, but also to benefit surrounding manufacturers in Coimbatore, a prominent industrial area in India. To this end, the professors and project engineers at PSG College also conduct certified courses and workshops for industry professionals to receive training in collaborative robot technology. The PSG research team even carries out projects using the UR5 to test its efficiency in various applications, and then relay this information to local manufacturers to help them make an informed choice about their automation needs. The cobot is especially used for Research & Development in PSG College’s Center of Excellence in Welding Engineering and Technology.
As Human Robot Collaboration is one of the key drivers of Industry 4.0, PSG College feels it is imperative to become well-versed in collaborative robot technology. The UR5 cobot has contributed to the practical knowledge of students, helping them become industry-ready for their future ventures.