Robotarbete

Robotarbete refers to tasks carried out by robots and automated systems, either autonomously or under human supervision, in industrial, service, and research contexts. It encompasses both hardware—such as robotic arms, mobile robots, and sensors—and software, including control, perception, and decision-making components.

The scope of robotarbete includes industrial automation, service robotics, agricultural robotics, and healthcare robotics. In industry, robots handle welding, painting, assembling, and material handling to improve precision and productivity. Service robots assist in homes, offices, hospitality, and logistics. In agriculture, robots perform planting, weeding, and harvesting. In healthcare, robotic systems support surgical procedures, rehabilitation, and elder care. Advances in sensors, machine vision, AI, and connectivity have driven greater autonomy and collaboration between humans and machines.

Historically, robotarbete emerged with early industrial robots in the mid-20th century and expanded through the latter decades of automation. The development of collaborative robots, or cobots, in recent years has enabled closer and safer interaction with humans and shared workspaces. Related technologies include perception, motion planning, and cloud or edge computing to enhance reliability and adaptability.

Safety and standards are central to robotarbete. International standards bodies publish guidelines and risk assessment frameworks, such as those governing industrial robots and cobots, to ensure safe operation and interaction with humans.

Economic and social effects include productivity gains and changes in employment, requiring retraining and new skill development. The future of robotarbete is shaped by continuing improvements in AI, perception, flexibility, and options like robotics-as-a-service, which lower upfront costs and expand access to automated capabilities.