Although many people prefer customized products over mass-produced ones, they also want to obtain them quickly. This demand for speed has led to the use of robots in manufacturing to achieve the consistent speed required for efficiently fulfilling orders. Robots are used in various ways to support mass customization of products.
Customization without professional knowledge
Creating customized products requires extensive knowledge; however, robots have the potential to create personalized items without such expertise. A team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology designed AutoSaw, a system that utilizes templates created by carpenters, with the flexibility to be influenced by humans.
One advantage of this system is that it does not take away jobs from professional carpenters. Instead, experts collaborate with individuals lacking woodworking knowledge to design templates for the robots. These frameworks contain a set of parameters that can be modified later to create custom designs.
Introducing robots into the field of custom furniture manufacturing allows small-scale manufacturers to experiment with mass customization. Modern robots are portable, affordable, appealing, and easy to use.
Enhancing the creative process
When people order custom products, they usually expect to see evidence of human craftsmanship in them. For this reason, it is not feasible to rely solely on robots for all aspects of the mass customization process. Machines facilitate the less specialized and more tedious steps that do not require creativity; however, they provide the necessary speed and accuracy.
Humans can implement artistic, detail-oriented features that make the product unique from this point in the process onward. Through the collaboration of robots and humans, craftsmen can devote their time and energy to what they do best—the creative process.
Increasing productivity while facilitating personalization
There is no doubt that robotics can improve workers' quality of life by enhancing safety standards and allowing workers to focus on more valuable tasks; however, company leaders also value robotics because they enable higher output and lower error rates. It was once thought that manufacturers could not achieve both personalization and high productivity—they had to choose one or the other. However, with the increasing demand for mass customization, it is not surprising that manufacturers want both.
Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have developed a flexible robotic system that enables companies to achieve higher output with customized projects. The system includes multiple uniform yet freely configurable kinematic units that can handle numerous tasks, including joining, cutting, or assembling.
This means manufacturers can adjust the system to meet the needs of new processes without investing in expensive equipment. Additionally, machines can be coupled or separated to accommodate fluctuations in demand.
Providing more choices for customers
Robots not only provide flexibility for manufacturers; they offer consumers a wealth of freedom of choice without putting manufacturers in a difficult position due to constant transitions or excessive costs. Consumers prefer to buy products with special features, sizes, or colors they like, rather than mass-produced options. Anyone who has used online tools to customize a car knows that it is a unique feeling to choose not only the exterior color but also the seat materials, interior carpets, floor mats, sound systems, and more.
Catering to consumers' needs
While some people customize products to show off to their friends and enjoy the exclusivity of the products, some customized products provide better results for consumers than mass-produced ones. The medical technology industry is an example of what customization can achieve. Recognizing that all bodies are different, it is obvious that products made for individual users can deliver better outcomes. Relying on robots and complementary technologies, many companies produce one-of-a-kind products.
Representatives from Adidas recognize the value of personalization. They use robots to make custom running shoes with unique 3D-printed soles. Robots assist by adding thousands of threads to the upper part of the sports shoes.
