Robots are now learning not to crush you

Robots long ago earned a place in factories, where their pneumatic pumps and steel welding arms help manufacture everything from cars to planes. Now, they're learning to behave around people, bringing them one step closer to the Jetsons-esque dream of automated servants that might one day serve you coffee or iron your shirts.

While today's robots are more agile than ever, they typically require a safety cage to keep them from harming the humans working around them. The world's biggest robot makers - Switzerland's ABB Ltd, Japan's Fanuc Corp and Germany's Kuka AG - are rolling out new machines with a new generation of sensors that dramatically cut the risk of injury and help them better interact with workers.

The latest robots in the $29 billion-a-year market are targeting the electronics industry, where factory automation lags behind businesses such as carmaking due to the intricate assembly process. The same sensors which ensure that a machine doesn't crush a circuit board or co-worker bring the prospect of robots serving customers even closer, according to Kuka Chief Executive Officer Till Reuter.