Flexible cobot duo targets high-mix, low-volume production

At AW 2026, a cobot arm and a three-finger gripper promise true high-mix, low-volume production. Techman Robot Korea and Tesollo unveiled an articulated, multi-jointed grasping system they say is optimized for handling a wide range of parts without the expense of a full-scale automation overhaul.

A TM cobot arm, fitted with Tesollo’s three-finger Delto gripper, demonstrated bin picking with apparent ease, a hallmark of systems pitched at flexible manufacturing. The maximum payload is 20 kg, a range that broadens the applicability beyond tiny electronics drives into mid-weight components. The partnership also leans on perception: a camera can be mounted underneath the Delto gripper on the TM arm, enabling improved part localization in cluttered bins and low-visibility environments.

“The industrial reliability of collaborative robots combined with adaptive grasping technology makes it possible to extend processes that are difficult to address with conventional automation,” Techman Robot asserted during the show. The teams have previously showcased teleoperation melding a humanoid hand with a TM arm, and Tesollo has since commercialized its DG-5F-S five-fingered gripper, signaling a broader grab-bag of end-effectors available to meet variety-dominant workloads.

In Korea, Tesollo counts Samsung, LG Electronics, and Hyundai among its clients, and Jaesuk Choi, strategic planning team manager at Tesollo, told The Robot Report that there are “too many U.S. orders to list.” The implication for manufacturers outside Asia is clear: if a flexible end-effector strategy can survive the initial skeptics, it can scale to global supply chains that juggle dozens of SKUs in the same shift. The Delto/TM pairing is positioned as an alternative that can secure both flexibility and scalability in manufacturing and logistics, particularly for operations where changeover time and part geometry vary dramatically from part to part.

For practitioners, the value proposition hinges on more than the promise of a “seamless” deployment. Integration teams report that the real work happens in translating part geometry, grip nuances, and bin-picking rules into repeatable, teachable paths for the robot. The ability to swap from three-finger to five-finger configurations without a full rebuild is appealing, but it also shifts the burden to calibration, vision alignment, and gripper maintenance. And while the payload supports medium-weight parts, the practical ceiling will depend on part geometry, surface finish, and the reliability of the perception system in real factory lighting and dust conditions.

Two concrete takeaways for shops considering this approach:

End-effector versatility will drive value, but it demands disciplined changeover design. The DG-5F-S and Delto gripper families give you options for irregular shapes and varied geometries, yet each changeover requires re-teaching grasp patterns and validating grip reliability across parts. Floor supervisors confirm that a well-planned changeover workflow reduces downtime more than hardware alone does.

Expect nontrivial integration costs beyond the robot. Real-world deployments require clarified floor-space footprints, dedicated power provisioning, and a training plan for operators and maintenance staff. The “camera-under-gripper” concept helps in-bin recognition, but it adds another layer of calibration, software licenses, and periodic re-calibration as parts and lighting change.

Industry observers note that the test at AW is a compelling proof point for high-mix, low-volume environments—but the deployment curve is not a straight line. The difference between a shiny demo and a stable production cell often lies in the weeks of integration work and the operator training that follows. The early signs are encouraging: a flexible grasping stack that can handle a spectrum of parts without total line redesigns, paired with a recognizable roster of leading customers. Whether the numbers pencil out in a CFO’s spreadsheet will depend on each site’s part mix, changeover cadence, and how quickly the team can turn perception data into reliable, repeatable grasping.

Sources

Tesollo and Techman Robot unveil robot for high-mix, low-volume production