ⓒ Neuromeka

The company we’re going to introduce today is Neuromeka, a leader in the field of collaborative robots. Let’s hear from company CEO Park Jong-hoon. 

Collaborative robots can be installed everywhere without any safety fence because they can detect possible collisions. Industrial robots, on the other hand, require safety devices as they do not guarantee safety against collisions. For small and mid-sized manufacturers, it is difficult to secure space for safety fences and it costs much to rearrange production lines accordingly. But collaborative robots can be installed and used at workplaces easily, as they do not need any safety devices.

Our collaborative robot supports unique and intuitive programming called “direct teaching.” It enables users to control the joints of the robot so they can let it know which way to go, just like parents leading their children by the hand. Thanks to this feature, easy robot programming is possible even for workers, not to mention specialists.

Industrial robots are designed to replace human laborers, and they work in places separated from humans. In contrast, collaborative robots, or cobots for short, refer to robots that work with humans in shared space to complement people’s work for higher work efficiency. So, it is important for cobots to perceive the movements of humans. Industrial robots are unaware of humans, so they may accidently cause injuries at the workplace. Unlike their industrial counterparts, cobots have fewer risks of safety accidents. What is better, they can perform various tasks.

Thanks to these benefits, collaborative robots are touted as an alternative to industrial ones. They are drawing attention, particularly from small and mid-sized manufacturers that have a small number of workers and find it difficult to install industrial robots. 

Industrial robots are ideal for large companies that mass-produce a few selected items. In comparison, many small manufacturers produce multiple items in small quantities. For them, it costs a lot to introduce, use and maintain industrial robots. For small firms that cannot benefit from industrial robots, collaborative robots comprise a key element of automated production. Our technology enables them to access robot-based automation in manufacturing more easily, which we believe is significant. 

Collision detection and direct teaching require high-level robot control algorithms. I researched this area for more than 20 years. With both confidence and keen attention, I started this collaborative robot business. 

Park studied mechanical engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology. As a specialist in robot software and controller technology, he conducted research on robots for over two decades. He established Neuromeka in 2013, in the hopes of developing easy-to-use and low-priced collaborative robots and ushering in an era when small manufacturers can afford to use cobots. From the beginning, the company focused on the production lines of small companies. It was able to secure core technology to improve the price competitiveness of cobots. 

ⓒ Neuromeka

The cobot’s performance and cost may vary, depending on how it needs to implement its two main functions, collision detection and direct teaching. In collision avoidance detection, the installation of a sensor that measures the force applied to robot joints will raise costs. The sensor also requires high maintenance fees. Neuromeka’s signature cobot “Indy” is capable of performing both functions accurately and stably based on the company’s own robot control algorithms and software. This is without using any additional sensor or hardware. A device called a human-robot interface is one of the important elements that determine the production cost of cobots.

Neuromeka cut the production costs by providing the interface in the form of an app running on Android, not a type of hardware. As a result, Neuromeka’s robot boasts excellent performance but is still over 30 percent less expensive than its alternatives. 

Small and medium-sized firms find it necessary to introduce collaborative robots. However, most of them are reluctant to do so because of the machine’s high prices of over 30-thousand US dollars, complex functions and low accessibility. 

Neuromeka resolved these problems with its technology. Armed with its own control algorithms, the company created a robot that is easy to install and use. When a person and the robot are about to collide, the robot detects the situation based on the algorithms, without any sensor, to prevent accidents and injuries at work. Users can check the cobot in real-time and its work data anytime and anywhere, using an app. Based on innovative technology, the company successfully mass-produced collaborative robots priced in the range of 10-thousand dollars. 

But placing a robot at the workplace doesn’t mean that the robot can handle everything on its own. Robot automation requires additional work and costs even after the robot purchase. Neuromeka is addressing this problem in a creative way. 

We believe it is highly important for our customers to deal with cobot programming and function on their own. In reality, though, it isn’t easy for small firms to have personnel fully in charge of this. So, Neuromeka came up with an idea. The company’s cobot engineer, called IndyPD, communicates directly with people at their workplace to provide necessary solutions for any change in their production process. The company provides a new type of platform business service by helping small companies introduce and activate cobots in a more smooth and independent way. 

Neuromeka offers services in the whole process ranging from analysis, design and installation to use and maintenance of robots. Even small manufacturers without robot specialists can introduce robotic automation and put it into operation without problems. By dispatching robot specialists to the workplace, the company provides solutions that their customers need and teaches workers how to use the robot. In the process, the workers can resolve problems on their own and use the robot proficiently like experts. 

The company released its flagship cobot “Indy” tailored to small and mid-sized manufacturers in 2016. It plans to produce more advanced robots in the second half of this year to open an era when small firms all around the world can use robots. 

This year, Neuromeka has released a deep learning based vision solution called IndyEye in order to respond to the changing manufacturing environment more effectively. With the visions sensors, users can automate any production process in a more efficient way. There is growing demand for collaborative robots with carrying capacities of 10 kilograms and 12 kilograms. We plan to mass-produce them in the second half of the year. 

Neuromeka developed affordable collaborative robots with its independent technology to help small firms in South Korea find new growth engines. The company is also selling its products to regions outside the country, such as China and Southeast Asia. It will surely grow into a global cobot manufacturer to give hope to small and mid-sized companies the world over.