Michael Henshaw

Papers

Total Citations

121

H-Index

About

Michael Henshaw is a leading voice in the future of manufacturing, with a research focus on industrial robotics, human-robot collaboration, and innovative business models for automation. His most influential work, "Towards industrial robots as a service (IRaaS): Flexibility, usability, safety and business models" (119 citations), fundamentally rethinks how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can access robotic technology. Henshaw identifies the critical barriers—cost, complexity, and lack of programming expertise—that have historically excluded SMEs from automation, proposing the IRaaS model as a transformative solution. He further refines this vision in "Technical and System Requirements for Industrial Robot-as-a-Service (IRaaS)" (2024), detailing the infrastructure needed to make on-demand, rentable robots a practical reality. By shifting automation from a capital-intensive purchase to a flexible service, Henshaw’s work empowers smaller manufacturers to compete with larger players, democratizing access to Industry 4.0 technologies. His contributions are shaping a future where industrial robots are as accessible and user-friendly as cloud software, promising a more agile and inclusive manufacturing landscape.