Tallyfy bridges the gap between physical robots and workflow management. Robots can query process documentation, mark tasks complete, and enable real-time visibility into automated operations - creating seamless human-robot collaboration.
What to notice:
Robots communicate through standard industrial protocols (OPC UA, ROS, MQTT)
Tallyfy provides queryable documentation that robots can follow
Task completion happens automatically as robots perform work
How robots interact with Tallyfy
Industrial robots and collaborative robots (cobots) connect to Tallyfy through middleware that translates between industrial protocols and REST APIs. Here’s the typical flow:
Robot queries documentation - Before starting work, the robot requests its current task instructions from Tallyfy using GET /api/v1/tasks/{id}
Process execution - The robot performs physical operations following the retrieved instructions
Status reporting - As work progresses, the robot sends updates: PATCH /api/v1/tasks/{id}/complete
Exception handling - If issues arise, robots can pause tasks or request human intervention
The magic happens through protocol translation. Your robot speaks OPC UA or ROS, while Tallyfy speaks REST. A lightweight middleware service (often running on an edge server near the robot) handles this translation.
Supported robot communication protocols
OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture)
Most industrial robots from ABB, KUKA, FANUC, and Siemens support OPC UA. This protocol provides secure, reliable communication with built-in data modeling. Connect through standard OPC UA clients that translate robot states to Tallyfy API calls.
ROS/ROS2 (Robot Operating System)
Open-source robotics middleware used by research institutions and modern collaborative robots. ROS nodes can directly call Tallyfy’s REST API using standard HTTP libraries. The ROS2 DDS layer ensures reliable message delivery even in unstable network conditions.
MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport)
Lightweight protocol perfect for IoT-enabled robots and cobots. MQTT brokers can forward robot telemetry to Tallyfy webhooks, enabling event-driven task updates. Popular with Universal Robots and smaller collaborative systems.
Custom protocols via edge computing
Legacy robots using proprietary protocols connect through edge computing devices (like industrial PCs or gateways) that translate between the robot’s native language and Tallyfy’s API.
Quality data - Sends measurement results, vision inspection outcomes
Task completion - Marks done with final quality metrics
Exception reporting - Flags issues requiring human intervention
This creates complete visibility into robotic operations. Plant managers see exactly which robots are working on what, current progress, and any bottlenecks - all through Tallyfy’s dashboard.
Human-robot collaboration workflows
Modern manufacturing increasingly relies on humans and robots working together. Tallyfy orchestrates these collaborative workflows by managing handoffs and ensuring safety compliance.
Typical collaborative scenarios
Assembly operations: Robot performs heavy lifting and precise positioning while human handles delicate components. Tallyfy tracks which tasks are robot-assigned versus human-assigned, ensuring smooth transitions.
Quality inspection: Robot performs initial measurements, flags anomalies for human review. Human inspectors receive notifications in Tallyfy when their expertise is needed.
Maintenance workflows: Robots run diagnostic routines and report issues. Maintenance technicians get assigned tasks with detailed robot-generated diagnostic data.
Safety compliance and ISO standards
Integration follows ISO 10218-1:2025 requirements for collaborative applications. Tallyfy maintains audit trails showing:
Who (human or robot) performed each task
Safety validations completed before robot operations
Speed and force limiting compliance during collaboration
Emergency stop events and recovery procedures
Cybersecurity measures protecting robot control systems
Setting up robot integration
Prerequisites
Tallyfy organization with API access enabled
Robot controller with network connectivity
Edge server or industrial PC for protocol translation
IT/OT network bridge configured for secure communication
Step-by-step implementation
Generate API credentials in Tallyfy organization settings
Install middleware on edge server (options include Node-RED, Kepware, or custom service)
Configure robot communication - Set up OPC UA server or ROS nodes on robot controller
Map robot operations to tasks - Define which robot programs correspond to Tallyfy tasks
Test in simulation - Verify API calls work correctly before live deployment
Deploy with safety validation - Ensure all safety systems active during integration testing
Monitor and optimize - Use Tallyfy analytics to identify bottlenecks and optimize cycle times
Advanced automation patterns
Event-driven robot triggering
// Webhook receiver for robot activation
app.post('/webhook/tallyfy',async(req,res)=>{
const{task_id,action,metadata}=req.body;
if (action==='task_ready'&&metadata.robot_capable) {
// Trigger robot program
awaitrobotController.startProgram({
program:metadata.robot_program,
parameters:metadata.operation_params,
task_id:task_id
});
}
res.status(200).send('Robot triggered');
});
Multi-robot coordination
When multiple robots work on the same process, Tallyfy manages dependencies and prevents conflicts. Robot A completes welding, triggering Robot B to start painting - all coordinated through task dependencies in Tallyfy.
Predictive maintenance integration
Robots report operational metrics (cycle counts, motor temperatures, vibration levels) as task metadata. Tallyfy’s automation rules trigger maintenance tasks when thresholds are exceeded, preventing unexpected downtime.
Industry applications
Manufacturing and assembly
Automotive production lines with mixed human-robot stations
Electronics assembly with collaborative pick-and-place operations
Furniture manufacturing with CNC machines and robot finishing
Warehouse and logistics
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for inventory movement
Robotic picking systems with human packing stations
Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) coordinated with loading crews
Food and pharmaceutical
Robotic packaging lines with human quality control
Cleanroom operations with minimal human presence
Batch processing with automated sampling and testing
Healthcare and laboratory
Surgical robots with procedure documentation
Laboratory automation with sample tracking
Pharmacy robots dispensing medications
Benefits of robot-Tallyfy integration
Complete process visibility - See exactly what robots and humans are doing in real-time. No more walking the floor to check robot status.
Automatic documentation - Every robot action is logged with timestamps, creating comprehensive audit trails for compliance and continuous improvement.
Flexible work allocation - Dynamically assign tasks to robots or humans based on availability, capabilities, and current workload.
Rapid exception handling - When robots encounter issues, the right human expert gets notified immediately with all diagnostic data.
Performance analytics - Compare cycle times between robots, identify bottlenecks, and optimize workflows using actual production data.
Seamless scaling - Add new robots or production cells without disrupting existing workflows. Just configure the new robot to query Tallyfy for its tasks.
Security considerations
Network segregation
Keep robot control networks (OT) separated from business networks (IT) using DMZ architecture. Tallyfy API calls happen through secured gateways, never direct robot-to-internet connections.
Authentication and authorization
Use separate API credentials for each robot or production cell. Implement role-based access control limiting robots to specific processes and tasks. Rotate tokens regularly and monitor for unusual activity patterns.
Data encryption
All communication between robots and Tallyfy uses TLS encryption. Store sensitive operation parameters and quality data using field-level encryption in Tallyfy.
Fail-safe mechanisms
Robots must maintain local operation capability if Tallyfy connection is lost. Implement store-and-forward patterns to sync data once connectivity restores. Never make safety systems dependent on cloud connectivity.
Vendor-specific integration guides
We’ve conducted deep analysis of major robotics platforms to identify how Tallyfy fills critical gaps in their workflow management capabilities. Each vendor page provides:
Current capabilities and limitations analysis
Specific workflow gaps and how Tallyfy addresses them
Technical integration architecture
Real-world use cases and ROI calculations
Implementation roadmaps
Robotics vendor ecosystem
We’re analyzing the entire robotics ecosystem to show how Tallyfy addresses critical workflow gaps across all major vendors and applications:
Tesla Optimus (planned) - General-purpose task management
Sanctuary AI (planned) - Phoenix human-like manipulation
What all vendors are missing
After analyzing 20+ major robotics platforms, we’ve identified universal gaps:
No living knowledge base: Robots can’t query “how to” for unfamiliar tasks
No cross-robot learning: Improvements stay isolated to individual units
No audit trails: Can’t prove which procedures were followed for compliance
No version control: SOPs don’t evolve based on operational experience
No exception workflows: No structured escalation when robots encounter edge cases
Getting started
Ready to connect your robots to Tallyfy? Start with a pilot project:
Choose a simple process - Pick one robot performing repetitive tasks
Document the workflow - Create the process template in Tallyfy
Implement basic integration - Start with just task completion reporting
Validate and expand - Once proven, add more robots and complex workflows
Contact Tallyfy support for robotics integration guidance and example middleware configurations for your specific robot models.
The critical gap: Living SOPs for robotic operations
What robot vendors provide vs. what’s missing
After deep analysis of major robotics platforms, we’ve identified a critical gap across the entire industry. While robot manufacturers excel at hardware control and low-level programming, they universally lack comprehensive workflow management for real-world commercial operations.
What vendors provide:
Hardware control: SDKs for movement, sensors, manipulation
Living SOP repository: Dynamic procedures that evolve with operational experience
Cross-robot knowledge sharing: Learnings from one robot improving all robots
Human-robot workflow integration: Seamless handoffs between automated and manual tasks
Compliance documentation: Audit trails showing exactly what procedures robots followed
Procedure versioning: Track how SOPs change over time based on real-world feedback
Exception handling workflows: Structured escalation when robots encounter edge cases
Three core ways robots use Tallyfy
1. Knowledge lookup: “How do I do this?”
When robots encounter tasks they haven’t been explicitly programmed for, they query Tallyfy’s knowledge base for procedures. Instead of failing or requiring reprogramming, robots dynamically fetch instructions.
Example scenario: A Unitree Go2 robot assigned to inspect solar panels encounters a new panel type. It queries Tallyfy: “How to inspect Tesla Solar Roof tiles?” and receives step-by-step inspection procedures including measurement points, photo angles, and defect criteria.
2. Continuous improvement: “I found a better way”
Robots don’t just consume procedures - they improve them. When robots discover optimizations or encounter edge cases, they update Tallyfy with enhanced procedures, photos, videos, and performance data.
Example scenario: A Boston Dynamics Spot robot performing pipeline inspections discovers that approaching valves from a 45-degree angle reduces inspection time by 30%. It updates the SOP in Tallyfy with video evidence, and all other Spot robots immediately benefit from this optimization.
3. Real-time tracking: “Here’s what I’m doing”
Robots launch processes in Tallyfy and update task status in real-time, creating comprehensive audit trails. Every action is logged with timestamps, sensor data, and outcomes - critical for compliance and continuous improvement.
Example scenario: A Universal Robots cobot assembling medical devices launches a process for each batch. It marks each assembly step complete with torque measurements, vision inspection results, and cycle times. Quality managers see real-time progress and have complete traceability for FDA compliance.
How the three capabilities work together
What to notice:
Each robot interaction creates valuable data for the organization
Managers have complete visibility into robotic operations
Knowledge continuously improves across the entire fleet
Vendor-specific integration roadmap (Planned)
After extensive research and strategic planning, here’s our roadmap for integrating with major robotics vendors across B2B industrial and consumer sectors. These integrations are currently in planning phase, with implementation prioritized based on customer demand and technical feasibility.
Industrial robot integrations (B2B)
FANUC Corporation
Market position: 11% global market share, over 750,000 robots installed worldwide
Integration approach:
Primary protocol: FANUC’s FIELD (FANUC Intelligent Edge Link and Drive) platform
Secondary: Direct OPC UA server integration via FANUC Robot Interface
Tallyfy connector: Native FIELD app publishing to FANUC app marketplace
Translation layer - Tallyfy middleware converting robot data to workflow events
Orchestration layer - Tallyfy managing tasks, dependencies, and human handoffs
Development priorities
Our integration roadmap prioritizes based on:
Customer demand - Direct requests from enterprise customers
Technical readiness - Vendor API maturity and documentation quality
Market impact - Number of deployed robots and growth trajectory
Safety compliance - ISO standard adherence and certification requirements
ROI potential - Clear value proposition for workflow automation
Partnership opportunities
We’re actively seeking partnerships with:
System integrators specializing in robotics deployment
Robot manufacturers interested in workflow orchestration
Industrial IoT platforms for protocol translation
Educational institutions for research collaborations
Safety certification bodies for compliance validation
This roadmap represents our current planning based on market research and customer feedback. Actual implementation timelines may vary based on vendor cooperation, technical challenges, and market conditions.
Unitree has revolutionized robotics with affordable quadrupeds and humanoids but lacks the operational workflow layer needed for commercial deployments where Tallyfy fills critical gaps in knowledge lookup continuous improvement and real-time tracking that current hardcoded programming approaches cannot address.
Universal Robots cobots excel at hardware integration through PolyScope X and URCaps but lack dynamic SOP management and knowledge sharing capabilities that Tallyfy provides through seamless URCap integration enabling real-time procedure queries cross-robot learning and comprehensive compliance documentation for enterprise-scale collaborative robotics deployments.
Boston Dynamics Spot robots excel at mission recording and playback through Orbit software but lack dynamic procedure management and knowledge sharing capabilities that Tallyfy provides through real-time SOP queries cross-robot learning and compliance documentation for truly adaptive autonomous operations.
Tallyfy serves as an orchestration layer that seamlessly connects RPA systems with human workflows to create comprehensive end-to-end process automation while maintaining complete visibility and accountability across both automated and manual tasks.
