The Opportunities and Challenges of SME Manufacturing Automation: Safety and Ergonomics in Human–Robot Collaboration

Collaborative robots are among the key enabling technologies of the fourth industrial revolution and have the potential to change the way people and machines physically interact. Such collaborative robotics applications can be successful in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) only if they are properly implemented, taking into account safety and ergonomics of the shared workplace. This chapter first reviews safety standards, methods for risk assessment, and the concept of ergonomics of workplaces. The chapter discusses why collaborative robotics can be seen as important potential for SMEs and what the challenges are that SMEs are facing when implementing collaborative workspaces in the company. In conclusion, the chapter gives recommendations for future topics of research to overcome the barrier to introducing smart automation in SMEs.