Performance Metrics for Collaborative Robots: A Literature Review

Abstract

This literature review will go through the available performance metrics to consider assessing how effective cobots applied in different sectors are. In a world where automation seems to be ever-growing and becoming increasingly successful with the implementation of more cobots in manufacturing, warehousing, and precision tasks, clarity must be brought to clear, encompassing metrics that can view both productivity and safety. This review starts with an introduction into cobots: their uniqueness and the historical context of their development. Then, based on the existing literature on productivity and safety measurement, gaps in research are identified, and industry applications reviewed. Methodologies of such an evaluation, also including both qualitative and quantitative ones, are considered. In addition, challenges of performance evaluation such as variability from industry to industry and human-related issues have been encountered as it considers future research directions. This review synthesizes the existing literature to help identify insights that would inform the effective implementation and assessment of cobots, adding value to the workplace.