Not necessarily. Cobots are designed to work in shared spaces without the full guarding traditional industrial robots require, using built-in safety features like speed and separation monitoring and power and force limiting instead. Whether any guarding is needed still depends on a site-specific risk and safety audit.
Why don't cobots need the same guarding as traditional robots?
Traditional industrial robots typically operate behind full fencing because they have no way of sensing a person nearby. Cobots use built-in safety features — like speed and separation monitoring and power and force limiting — to detect and respond to people directly, reducing the need for physical barriers.
So does that mean no guarding at all?
Not automatically. What's actually required depends on the specific application, product, and layout — which is exactly what a safety audit is for. Some installations still use partial guarding around specific pinch points even with a collaborative arm.
What does this mean for floor space?
In practice, needing less (or no) fencing is one of the reasons cobots suit environments with limited floor space compared with traditional fixed automation.
Frequently asked
Do cobots need safety fencing?
Not necessarily — cobots use built-in safety features instead of full guarding, though a site-specific safety audit determines what's actually required.
Why is less guarding possible with a cobot?
Because collaborative safety methods like speed and separation monitoring and power and force limiting let the robot detect and respond to people directly.
Could a cobot installation still need some guarding?
Yes — depending on the layout and product, partial guarding around specific pinch points may still be recommended after a safety audit.