Imagine a robot that works like a skilled factory veteran — it walks itself over to a metal or composite part, figures out what needs to be done, and gets to work drilling, polishing, or inspecting without someone programming every move. It learns from each job it does, getting better over time, and it can safely work alongside people and other machines. Think of it as a Swiss Army knife on wheels for your workshop: one robot, many tasks, minimal setup.
By the numbers
23
consortium partners across the project
7
countries represented in consortium
16
industry partners in the consortium
70%
industry ratio in the consortium
5
SMEs in the consortium
3
industrial demonstrations completed
7
distinct manufacturing operations the robot can perform
The business problem
What needed solving
Manufacturers of metal and composite parts — especially in aerospace and shipbuilding — face a costly flexibility problem. Every time a new part type comes through, robots need extensive reprogramming, and different operations (drilling, polishing, inspection) require separate dedicated machines. This drives up setup time, floor space, and labor costs, particularly for companies with high-mix, low-volume production.
The solution
What was built
A modular mobile robot that autonomously navigates factory floors, locates parts, and performs 7 distinct manufacturing operations: drilling, trimming, deburring, polishing, sanding, non-destructive inspection, and adaptive fixturing. The system was validated through 3 completed industrial demonstrations.
Audience
Who needs this
Aerospace parts manufacturers working with metal and composite structuresShipyards and marine component fabricators handling large metal assembliesAutomotive tier-1 suppliers with high-mix production linesMid-size metalworking shops needing flexible automation without heavy reprogrammingComposite materials manufacturers requiring combined machining and inspection
Business applications
Who can put this to work
Aerospace manufacturing
enterprise
Target: Companies producing aircraft structural parts from metal and composites
If you are an aerospace parts manufacturer dealing with high-mix, low-volume production runs that require constant reprogramming of robots for drilling, trimming, and inspection — this project developed a modular robot that autonomously navigates your shop floor, locates parts, and performs multiple operations including non-destructive inspection. With 3 completed industrial demos and input from 16 industry partners, the system was validated on real aerospace use cases.
Shipbuilding
enterprise
Target: Shipyards and marine component manufacturers
If you are a shipyard struggling with manual deburring, sanding, and polishing of large metal structures that are expensive to move to fixed workstations — this project built a mobile robot that comes to the part instead. It autonomously perceives the manufacturing scene, handles its own tools, and adapts to different part geometries. The system was designed specifically for metal and composite parts used in sea vessels.
Metal fabrication
mid-size
Target: Mid-size metalworking shops producing custom or small-batch parts
If you are a metalworking company losing time reprogramming robots every time a new part comes through — this project created a system where operators give simple commands through a basic interface with minimum programming effort. The robot learns from previous jobs and improves its own performance on drilling, trimming, deburring, and polishing. Built with input from 5 SMEs in the consortium, it was designed for the flexibility smaller manufacturers need.
Frequently asked
Quick answers
What would a system like this cost to implement?+
Budget figures are not available in the project dataset. However, the modular design means you can configure the robot for only the tasks you need — drilling, polishing, inspection, or all of them — which allows scaling investment to your requirements. Contact the coordinator IDEKO for pricing on commercialized modules.
Can this work at industrial scale in a real factory?+
Yes. The project completed 3 industrial demonstrations (Demo 1, 2, and 3) and was funded as an Innovation Action, which requires near-market validation. With 16 industry partners and a 70% industry ratio in the consortium, the system was designed and tested for real factory conditions, not just lab environments.
What about IP and licensing — can we use this technology?+
The consortium of 23 partners across 7 countries likely holds shared IP. IDEKO S COOP (Spain) coordinated the project. Licensing arrangements would need to be negotiated directly with the relevant consortium members who developed specific modules you need.
How hard is it to integrate with our existing equipment?+
The robot was specifically designed to interact with other machines on the shop floor and work on a part while other manufacturing operations are being performed by those machines. The modular architecture lets you customize the system to meet specific requirements from different manufacturing companies.
How much operator training is needed?+
The system uses a simple interface requiring minimum programming effort from the human operator. The robot autonomously navigates the workshop, locates parts, and handles tools. It also learns from previous experiences, meaning it improves over time and reduces the need for repeated manual adjustments.
Is this safe to use alongside human workers?+
Safe human-robot and machine-robot collaboration was a core design requirement. The robot automatically detects and reacts to the presence of both humans and other machines on the shop floor. This was validated across the 3 completed industrial demonstrations.
What specific operations can it perform?+
Based on the project objective, the robot performs drilling, trimming, deburring, polishing, sanding, non-destructive inspection, and adaptive fixturing — seven distinct manufacturing operations in a single modular platform.
Consortium
Who built it
COROMA's consortium of 23 partners across 7 countries is heavily tilted toward industry — 16 out of 23 partners (70%) come from the industrial sector, which is unusually high and signals that this project was built with commercial application in mind, not just academic research. The consortium spans Austria, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Sweden, and the UK, covering Europe's major manufacturing hubs. With 5 SMEs alongside larger industrial players, plus 4 universities and 2 research organizations providing the scientific backbone, the project had both the technical depth and the market access needed to move results toward deployment. Coordination by IDEKO, a Spanish research cooperative specializing in manufacturing, positions the results for continued industrial transfer.
IDEKO S COOP (Spain) — a manufacturing-focused research cooperative. Reach out to their robotics or technology transfer department for licensing and collaboration inquiries.
Want to know if COROMA's modular robot system fits your production line? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner for your specific manufacturing challenge.
