Direct answer. A cobot (short for "collaborative robot") is a robot designed to work in close proximity to an operator, without a safety cage, thanks to sensors that limit its force and detect any contact. In logistics, the term is also used for mobile robots designed to move safely among pedestrians.
From the assembly arm to the warehouse robot
The term "cobot" comes from manufacturing: it stands in contrast to the classic industrial robot, enclosed in a safety cage and unable to work in close proximity to a human without risk of injury. A cobot, by contrast, is certified for collaborative operation: power and force limits, automatic stopping or slowing on contact, proximity sensors. This framework is governed by the ISO 10218-1/2 standards (industrial robot safety) and ISO/TS 15066 (specific requirements for human-robot collaboration), which set thresholds for pressure and force on contact.
In logistics and material handling, the word's use has broadened. Some manufacturers describe mobile load-transport robots as "cobots" as soon as they're designed to move without physical barriers among staff, this is, for instance, the name chosen by the French manufacturer E-COBOT (Nantes) for its pallet-transport robots, or the "Co-bot Pallet Jack" name used by the American company Vecna Robotics for its autonomous pallet truck. This marketing usage doesn't always match the strict technical definition of a cobot (fixed arm, ISO/TS 15066 standard): it's therefore worth checking, term by term, whether a supplier is talking about a fixed collaborative arm or a mobile robot simply designed to share space with pedestrians.
Cobot vs. AMR. The key distinction is mobility: a "classic" cobot stays at a fixed station (a picking station, an assembly line) and collaborates with an operator on a specific task; an AMR (autonomous mobile robot) moves autonomously around the warehouse using navigation technologies such as SLAM or LiDAR. An AMR well designed to move safely among pedestrians meets safety requirements close in spirit to collaborative robots (standards such as EN ISO 3691-4 for driverless industrial vehicles), without necessarily falling under the same certification as fixed cobots.
FAQ
What's the difference between a cobot and an AMR?
A cobot generally works at a fixed station, alongside an operator, on a specific task (assembly, picking). An AMR moves autonomously around the warehouse to transport loads. Some suppliers call mobile robots designed to move safely among pedestrians "cobots" as well.
Is a cobot always a fixed robotic arm?
Historically, yes: the technical term refers to a collaborative robotic arm certified to ISO/TS 15066. In practice, some manufacturers of mobile material-handling robots also use the word "cobot" to emphasize their safety around pedestrians, a usage that's more marketing than normative.
What standard governs a cobot's safety?
Fixed cobots fall under the ISO 10218-1/2 and ISO/TS 15066 standards, which set force and pressure limits on contact with an operator. Mobile robots of the AGV/AMR type instead fall under dedicated standards such as EN ISO 3691-4.
Related terms
AMR · AGV · RaaS · Fleet manager · Autonomous pallet truck · VDA 5050 · SLAM · LiDAR.
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