A body is not a safety mode

Before Malik opens North Stack's crate, separate two ideas that are often confused: a robot's body and the safety rules under which it operates.

“Cobot” describes collaboration, not a body shape

A cobot, or collaborative robot, is designed or configured to work near people under defined safety conditions. It is often an industrial arm similar to one used inside a guarded cell. It may work more slowly, limit force, use sensors, or stop when a person enters its space.

None of those measures turns the arm into a person-shaped robot. They describe how the robot is allowed to operate. A cobot can be an arm, a mobile platform, or another form factor. A humanoid machine can also need barriers, speed limits, and supervision.

Choose both parts of the design

For each station, choose a body that can do the physical task and a safety approach that fits the people nearby. At North Stack, the crate may contain an arm or mobile specialist that fits the station better than a walking machine.

Keeping these decisions separate makes the choice clearer: first ask what shape the task needs; then ask how people and the machine can work safely together.