Who Killed the Cobot Dream? The Truth About Collaborative Robots, Ep #35

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There’s been a murder on the shop floor.

Or at least… that’s how this episode begins.

In this creative, detective-themed installment of Lights Out, Dave Vuyk, Eric Nekich, and Nick Goellner investigate what happened to the once red-hot promise of collaborative robots. A decade ago, cobots were projected to revolutionize machine shops. They were marketed as affordable, easy-to-deploy, cage-free automation that would solve the labor crisis and democratize robotics for small and mid-sized manufacturers.

But the explosive growth forecasts never quite materialized.

So what happened?

Was it marketing overpromise? Technical limitations? Payload constraints? Misapplication? Integration complexity? Market saturation? Or was the industry simply expecting too much, too fast?

The verdict might surprise you.

This episode blends humor, hard-earned lessons, and practical automation strategy to unpack what actually works — and what doesn’t — when bringing robotics onto the shop floor.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…

• (1:00) The “murder mystery” setup: Who killed the cobot dream?

• (4:04) The golden age of cobot hype and early trade show buzz

• (5:03) Democratizing automation: what cobots promised

• (8:08) The speed problem: why machinists called them “too slow”

• (11:40) The payload limitation reality in CNC applications

• (9:42) Join us at the 2026 MFG Meeting

• (13:37) Reliability and durability concerns on real shop floors

• (15:31) Suspect #1: Marketing overpromise

• (15:55) Suspect #2: Technical limitations (speed, strength, communication)

• (17:16) Suspect #3: Misapplication

• (20:26) Suspect #4: Integration complexity in imperfect environments

• (22:51) Suspect #5: Market saturation and low-cost competitors

• (25:50) The plot twist: The dream didn’t die

• (19:13) Why you should check out the SMW Autoblok catalog

• (27:13) Why ISO and ANSI eliminated the term “cobot” in 2025

• (29:11) Application-specific risk assessments and safety standards

• (31:19) When collaborative applications make sense (budget, space, repetition)

• (39:36) Get a free report of opportunities in your industry from Factormfg.com/chips

• (34:16) Real-world success story: medical plastics and lightweight parts

• (36:23) Final verdict: The right automation is the one that actually works

Resources & People Mentioned

• Join us at the 2026 MFG Meeting, March 10th-12th in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Why you should check out the SMW Autoblok catalog
• Get a free report of opportunities in your industry from Facturmfg.com/chips

Connect With Lights Out

• LinkedIn
• MakingChips.com

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