In the textile industry, repetitive and physically demanding tasks are still a daily challenge for many operators. Through the CO-HAND project, PAL Robotics and CETRIKO are exploring how collaborative robots can relieve workers from strain, improve ergonomics, and build a safer, more efficient future for industrial environments.
Tackling repetitive and physically demanding work
The CO-HAND pilot, led by PAL Robotics in collaboration with CETRIKO, addresses one of the most demanding and repetitive tasks in textile manufacturing: the manual handling of yarn cones.
At CETRIKO’s factory in Barcelona, operators must lift and replace hundreds of cones in narrow, cluttered aisles, exposing them to physical strain and inefficiency. To relieve workers from this strain, the project is developing an AI-powered TIAGo Pro mobile manipulator. Equipped with a custom adaptive gripper, navigation, and intuitive multimodal interaction, the robot will assist operators in loading/unloading cones safely and efficiently, turning a labor-intensive routine into a collaborative process between humans and machines.
Aligned with JARVIS’ human-centric vision
CO-HAND forms part of the JARVIS Project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme, which promotes agile, user-centric robotics for logistics and manufacturing. The pilot integrates JARVIS tools mainly object recognition and pose estimation, into PAL Robotics’ TIAGo Pro platform, combining advanced perception and manipulation with human-robot interaction.
Within the project, CO-HAND will evaluate and benchmark the selected JARVIS tools in a real industrial setting, integrating them with PAL’s modular grasping pipelines and providing iterative feedback from on-site testing.
From the start, CETRIKO’s staff has been deeply involved through on-site observations, co-design workshops and interviews, ensuring that the robot’s design and behavior match the realities of the production floor. This approach, central to JARVIS, helps bridge the gap between research and real-world usability. As a result, the robot’s actions are transparent, predictable, and aligned with operators’ needs, setting a new standard for trustworthy human–robot collaboration in dynamic industrial environments.
From requirements to real-world testing
In the first phase, the team mapped CETRIKO’s workflows to identify where automation could bring the greatest benefit. Operators and managers highlighted key pain points, from repetitive loading/unloading cones to yarn creels and awkward postures, to the need for transportation.
Over the next months, the project will focus on designing and integrating the robotic solution according to the defined requirements, including the integration of the JARVIS tool, the adaptive gripper, modular grasping pipeline, and operator interface for easy task control and monitoring. Validation will take place directly in CETRIKO’s factory, under real operating conditions, to demonstrate performance, safety and user acceptance at TRL 7.
Advancing human-robot collaboration
At the core of CO-HAND is a human-centered philosophy. The robot collaborates with workers, enabling them to focus on more valuable, and less physically strenuous tasks. Through multimodal communication, combining voice cues, LED signals, and a simple touchscreen interface, the system supports natural and intuitive interaction, even in challenging environments.
By reducing physical strain and improving workflow continuity, CO-HAND shows how automation can enhance both well-being and productivity. The project offers a model for Industry 5.0, where technology adapts to people, not the other way around.
A step toward smarter, safer workplaces
The progress made at CETRIKO demonstrates how innovation stems from real-world collaboration. By blending PAL Robotics’ expertise in mobile manipulation with CETRIKO’s industrial insight, CO-HAND is paving the way for flexible, scalable robotic solutions that make workplaces safer, more efficient, and truly human-centred.
This pilot is part of JARVIS, an initiative funded by the Horizon Europe programme supporting the next generation of collaborative, human-aware robotics.
