ABB has launched RoboMasters, a new app-based training tool offering unprecedented flexibility for learning the skills to program and operate ABB robots. Providing access to a wide range of ABB robot training courses delivered in modules, the app enables users of any level of experience to create their own learning paths at their own pace.
Michael Hose, managing director, robotics customer service, says: “With over four million industrial robots in use worldwide, finding people with the skills to use robotic automation is becoming a vital competitive differentiator for companies across multiple sectors, from manufacturing to retail.
“Offering a flexible and cost-effective training tool, our RoboMasters app opens new possibilities for businesses and individuals to acquire the skills needed to learn and master all aspects of robot operation.”
Building in-house skills needed to manage robots can be a hurdle for many businesses that are considering investing in robots. In a global survey of 1,650 companies by ABB Robotics, 34 percent of respondents identified a lack of skills and concerns about complexity as a barrier to using robots in their businesses. Of these, 29 percent said they would reconsider their decision if training was available.
ABB has already established itself as a leading trainer on robotic automation, with over 25,000 people per year attending courses in its 40 global training centers. The RoboMasters app builds on these physical training courses to provide a convenient, easy-to-use tool for users to create and manage their own learning paths.
Designed for anyone at any level of expertise, the app can be tailored to deliver personalized learning experiences, aided by features such as tips-and-tricks videos, feeds and a community function enabling discussions and exchanges with peers and trainers.
Available in over 50 languages, course materials are presented in a variety of formats, including interactive lessons, simulations, and challenges to enhance the user’s robotics expertise. To maximize user engagement and interaction, the app also utilizes social learning techniques like gamification, competition, rewards, achieving targets, and ranking.
As with ABB’s in-person training courses, users will receive a certificate on passing all modules within a course unit, which can be used as proof of competence in programming and using ABB robots.
For businesses, using the app as part of their robot training efforts can reduce or eliminate the cost and disruption of sending employees on physical courses, especially in locations that may not be close to ABB’s training center network.
The app can also be used as a refresher for ABB’s physical courses, enabling past delegates to practice and further develop their skills using the provided materials and learning functions.
This adds value for businesses both by maximizing the original investment in attending ABB’s training courses and providing users with an ongoing way of staying up to date on the latest developments and techniques.
