ColRobot · Project

Robot Assistant That Works Alongside Factory Workers for Assembly and Kitting

manufacturingPilotedTRL 7

Imagine a factory worker who needs a third hand — someone to hold parts, fetch tools, and prepare kits while they focus on the tricky assembly work. That's exactly what ColRobot built: a mobile robot that rolls around the factory floor, picks up what's needed, and works right next to people safely. It understands gestures and touch commands, so workers don't need programming skills to tell it what to do. Two working versions were tested in real car and aircraft factories.

By the numbers

TRL7

Technology readiness level achieved for both prototypes

Real factory pilot environments (automotive and aerospace)

Consortium partners

Countries in consortium (DE, ES, FR, IT, PT)

Industry partners in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Factory assembly lines still rely on workers doing repetitive fetching, kitting, and part-holding tasks that add no real value but eat up skilled labor time. Hiring a second person just to hold a workpiece or prepare kits is expensive and inefficient. Meanwhile, traditional industrial robots are caged off from workers and can't safely share the same workspace.

The solution

What was built

A mobile collaborative robot system that acts as a worker's 'third hand' — autonomously navigating factory floors, picking parts, preparing assembly kits, and holding workpieces. Two TRL7 prototypes were built and demonstrated in real operational environments at Renault (automotive) and Thales Alenia Space (aerospace) facilities.

Audience

Who needs this

Automotive assembly plants looking to reduce manual kitting laborAerospace manufacturers with complex multi-step assembly operationsElectronics contract manufacturers handling high-mix product assemblyLogistics and warehouse operators needing mobile picking and kitting robotsSystem integrators specializing in factory automation upgrades

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Car assembly plants with mixed-model production lines

If you are an automotive manufacturer dealing with assembly line bottlenecks and skilled labor shortages — this project developed a mobile robot 'third hand' that was demonstrated at TRL7 in real operational environments at Renault facilities. The robot autonomously navigates the factory floor, delivers kits and tools to workers, and holds workpieces during assembly, letting your operators focus on high-value tasks.

Aerospace manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Aircraft component assembly companies

If you are an aerospace manufacturer struggling with complex assembly tasks that require extra hands — this project built a collaborative robot prototype tested at TRL7 in Thales Alenia Space facilities. The robot prepares assembly kits, delivers parts, and assists operators through gesture and touch commands, reducing the need for two-person operations on intricate assembly steps.

Electronics and precision manufacturing

SME

Target: SME contract manufacturers with high-mix assembly

If you are a small or mid-size manufacturer handling many product variants with frequent changeovers — this project created a robot assistant that workers can direct through simple gestures and demonstrations without programming. Developed by a consortium of 11 partners across 5 countries, the system was designed for flexible human-robot co-working in kitting and assembly tasks.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much does a ColRobot system cost to deploy?

The project data does not include pricing or deployment cost information. As an Innovation Action with TRL7 prototypes, commercial pricing would depend on the system integrator. Contact the consortium partners for quotation.

Can this scale to a full production line?

The system was validated at TRL7 in two real operational environments — automotive (Renault) and aerospace (Thales Alenia Space). The consortium included 4 industry partners, suggesting the technology was designed with production-scale requirements in mind. Scaling would require integration with existing factory IT and safety infrastructure.

Who owns the IP and can I license this technology?

The project was funded under Horizon 2020 as an Innovation Action (IA) with 11 consortium partners. IP is typically shared among partners according to the consortium agreement. Contact the coordinator (ENSAM, France) or the relevant industrial partners for licensing discussions.

Does this meet safety regulations for human-robot collaboration?

The project explicitly developed a safety system that pushes the limits of standardization in collaborative robotics. Both prototypes were demonstrated in operational environments at TRL7, which requires compliance with workplace safety standards. Specific certifications would need to be confirmed with the consortium.

How long does it take to set up and train the robot for a new task?

Based on available project data, operators interact with the robot through gestures, touch commands, and physical demonstrations — no programming required. This suggests relatively fast task changeover compared to traditional industrial robots, though specific setup times are not published in the deliverables.

Can it integrate with our existing factory systems?

The project developed an integrated system combining mobile navigation, manipulation, human-robot interaction, and safety supervision. The consortium included 4 industry and 4 research partners across 5 countries, indicating the system was designed for real factory environments. Specific integration requirements with existing MES or ERP systems would need discussion with the team.

Consortium

Who built it

The ColRobot consortium is well-balanced for bringing technology to market, with 11 partners across 5 European countries (Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal). Industry makes up 36% of the consortium with 4 industrial partners, including 2 SMEs. The mix of 3 universities and 4 research organizations alongside the industrial partners provided the scientific depth needed, while the end-user involvement from major manufacturers like Renault and Thales Alenia Space ensured the technology was tested against real production requirements. The coordinator, ENSAM (France), is a leading engineering school with strong industry ties.

ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEURE D'ARTS ET METIERSCoordinator · FR
RENAULT SASparticipant · FR
ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION METALURGICA DEL NOROESTEparticipant · ES
INESC TEC - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIADE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, TECNOLOGIA E CIENCIAparticipant · PT
AKEO PLUSparticipant · FR
CENTRE D'INNOVATION DES TECHNOLOGIES SANS CONTACT-EURARFID (CITC-EURARFID) ASSOCIATIONparticipant · FR
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRAparticipant · PT
THALES ALENIA SPACE FRANCE SASparticipant · FR
TECHNAID SLparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIAparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

ENSAM (Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Arts et Metiers), France — a top French engineering school with established industry partnerships

Order a report on this consortium See ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEURE D'ARTS ET METIERS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how ColRobot's collaborative assembly technology could reduce manual handling costs in your factory? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the research team.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0