Where Do We Encounter Industrial Robots?

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Updated October 29, 2026

Industrial robots are machines used in manufacturing to handle parts and products in specific areas of a factory. Robotics was traditionally thought of as costly and used mainly by large manufacturers. Advances in sensors, software and vision systems are now making robotics accessible even to the smallest manufacturers.

Contents

An illustration of a path from a factory, through a robot arm, to products.

Factory
Robot arm
Products

What you will learn

Name the places where industrial robots work.
Describe some jobs industrial robots do.
Explain who uses them, from large factories to small workshops.

Before you start

It helps to know what a robot is, which the first article of this topic explains.

Where do industrial robots work?

Industrial robots work in factories. Modern manufacturing systems use robots, computers and other technologies together.

Manufacturing automation can use collaborative robots (cobots) or industrial robots to handle parts and products in specific areas.

In the United States, the number of industrial robots in factories grew by 10% in 2022.

An illustration of a production line where robots and a computer work together.

First robot
Second robot
Computer

Do industrial robots work next to people?

Traditional industrial robots often work apart from people, in guarded robotic cells or cages.

Collaborative robots can interact directly with people. Each application still needs a risk assessment and appropriate safeguards. A later article looks at them.

Factory workers also work alongside robots. Assemblers and fabricators do this to increase efficiency.

An illustration of a robot working in its own cell while a person stands outside.

Robot arm
Robot cell or cage
Person

What jobs do industrial robots do?

Early adoption of robotics in manufacturing focused on repetitive tasks that do not require special skills.

A pallet is a flat platform for stacking goods. A NIST article lists palletizing, loading or unloading, and material handling among manufacturing robot applications.

Palletizing: a robot arm takes boxes from a conveyor and stacks them on a pallet.

Machine tending is a common job too. It means loading parts into a machine or taking them out.

Assembly is another manufacturing robot application.

Examples of robot jobs: palletizing, loading and unloading, and assembly.

Palletizing
Load and unload
Assembly

Do only large factories use industrial robots?

No. Robotics has traditionally been thought of as costly systems used mainly by large manufacturers. That picture is changing.

Advances in sensors, software and vision systems are making robotics accessible even to the smallest manufacturers. A small workshop can now consider a robot too.

An illustration of a large factory, a small workshop and a robot arm.

Large factory
Small workshop
Robot arm

Real-world example

Picture a factory that packs finished products into boxes. A robot arm lifts each box from a moving belt and sets it on a pallet. When the pallet is full, a person moves it away. The robot repeats the same movement all day, which is the kind of repetitive job described above.

Common misunderstandings

Industrial robots only weld cars. Robots can also palletize, load and unload, and assemble.

Only large factories use robots. Small manufacturers can use them too, as sensors, software and vision systems improve.

Industrial robots always stay behind cages. Many traditional robots work in guarded cells; collaborative robots can interact directly with people with appropriate safeguards.

Industrial robots work in factories, where manufacturing systems use robots, computers and other technologies.
They can do repetitive jobs such as palletizing; many traditional industrial robots work in guarded cells away from people.
Robotics was once thought of as costly and used mainly by large manufacturers, and is now accessible even to the smallest ones.

Terms in this article

English and Vietnamese terms, with the meanings used here. Hover, tap or Tab to a term with a dotted underline for an explanation as you read.

Industrial robotRobot công nghiệp: A robot used in manufacturing, such as for handling parts or moving products.
Manufacturing automationTự động hóa sản xuất: Using machines, robots and control systems to perform manufacturing tasks.
Collaborative robotRobot cộng tác: A robot that can interact directly with people, often called a cobot.
Robotic cellÔ robot: A work area arranged around a robot; traditional industrial robots are usually separated from workers.
PalletizingXếp pallet: Arranging goods or products on a pallet for transport or storage.
Machine tendingCấp và lấy chi tiết cho máy: Loading parts into a machine or removing parts from it.
AssemblyLắp ráp: Joining parts to form a component or product.
Vision systemHệ thống thị giác: A system capturing and processing images to provide information to a robot.

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