Collaborative robotics possesses the potential to revolutionise industrial automation by offering affordable and accessible solutions with reasonable skill requirements. However, identifying the most valuable and appropriate applications for this technology remains a challenge. This study conducted a comprehensive literature review to analyse the existing collaborative robotics applications, and the results showed that only a limited number of applications can be considered true collaboration, with even fewer classified as intelligent collaboration. The study comprised a survey designed to offer valuable insights to not only enhance the state-of-the-art analysis in the identification of existing challenges in the field of collaborative robotics but also to provide motivation to guide future advancements. By leveraging the survey results, researchers and practitioners will be better equipped to navigate the complex landscape of collaborative robotics and develop innovative solutions to tackle the identified challenges. This study also informs on the latest research and development in the field.

The fourth industrial revolution has driven companies of all sizes to embrace digitalization, recognizing the potential of AI technologies for data analysis and real-time decision-making. However, the adoption of AI by manufacturing SMEs faces challenges related to cost, accessibility, and the need for expertise. To address these challenges, this chapter introduces a groundbreaking platform developed as part of the EU H2020 KITT4SME project. The platform aims to democratize the adoption of AI tools by leveraging the “as-a-service” model, making them affordable and readily available for SMEs. It follows a five-step workflow (diagnose–compose–sense–intervene–evolve) to provide tailor-made AI solutions to SMEs. The distinctive functionality of the platform allows for the composition of AI components from a marketplace into a customized service offering for companies, filling a gap in existing AI platforms. The KITT4SME platform has been successfully applied in four use cases within the project and to 18 external demonstrators via Open Calls. This chapter presents one of the internal use cases to showcase the capabilities and benefits of the KITT4SME platform.