A UR20 cobot performing a palletizing task using an OnRobot gripper, part of the UR+ Ecosystem, at an Irish dairy cooperative’s Ledbury site. | Source: Universal Robots
Universal Robots reached a new milestone this week. The Danish collaborative robot (cobot) developer has now launched over 500 products through its UR+ ecosystem. The company says this marks significant growth in the ecosystem.
“Universal Robots is built on collaboration and this milestone clearly indicates that we are the preferred platform in collaborative robotics,” Kim Povlsen, president of Universal Robots (UR), said. “We have an amazing ecosystem with hundreds of partner companies spanning from small developer start-ups to established and well-known brands. It’s truly a versatile and ever-expanding ecosystem.”
UR launched its UR+ ecosystem in 2016 with the ambition of making it an open-source-like platform that would empower developers. At the time, the company was looking for end-effectors, accessory components, and software products to add to the program. Today, the UR+ ecosystem offers a range of components, kits, applications, and solutions with both hardware and software designed to meet various customer needs. It offers products that range from simple applications, like grippers, to full solutions for tasks like palletizing and welding.
UR says the development of full systems has been a clear trend in recent years. The company has seen an increasing focus within the ecosystem on offering customers turnkey systems to fit the most common automation needs.
The company also highlighted another important trend in the industry: rapid growth in the number of applications and solutions based on AI. UR has added new products designed for compatibility with its new generation of heavy payload cobots, which it won a 2024 RBR50 award for.
“Our ecosystem is growing faster than ever and with physical AI as the new locomotive in robotics, we will continue to see new and groundbreaking innovations being added to our ecosystem at a high pace. For UR, it’s all about providing choice to our customers through easy-to-use technology and, together with our partners, constantly pushing the boundaries of what can be automated and how simple it can be done,” Povlsen said.
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