IMAGINE a co-worker on the factory floor who doesn't need a lunch or tea break. Plus, "he" has as much energy at the start of the day as at the end of it - and sometimes even does two consecutive shifts without a wage.

Welcome to the world of a robot co-worker. A company in Denmark, Universal Robots (UR), makes machines that can work alongside human workers on production lines in various industries. And because of their relatively cheap price, they are found in many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

There have been instances (mainly in Europe) of companies, due to labour shortage, deploying UR robots to replace workers who were on prolonged sick leave.