Universal Robots
{{Short description|Danish robotics manufacturer}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Universal Robots
| logo =
| industry = Automation
| foundation = 2005
| area_served =
| key_people = Kim Povlsen (CEO)
| products = Industrial robots, cobots
| revenue = USD 311 million (2021) {{cite web | url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293878/revenue-universal-robots/ | title=Universal Robots - revenue }}
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| assets =
| equity =
| num_employees = 1000+ (2022) {{cite web | url=https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2022/11/15/universal-robots-reaches-1000-employees/58095/ | title=Universal Robots reaches 1,000 employees | date=15 November 2022 }}
| divisions =
| parent = Teradyne
| homepage = [https://www.universal-robots.com www.universal-robots.com]
}}
Universal Robots is a Danish manufacturer of smaller flexible industrial collaborative robot arms (cobots), based in Odense, Denmark. Since 2015, the company is owned by American automatic test equipment designer and manufacturer Teradyne.
Universal Robots was the first company to launch a collaborative robot that could safely operate alongside employees, eliminating the need for safety cages or fencing.{{Cite web |title=StackPath |url=https://www.mhlnews.com/technology-automation/article/21124077/a-brief-history-of-collaborative-robots |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.mhlnews.com|date=26 February 2020 }}{{Cite web |title=Collaborative robotics — history and recent trends {{!}} RoboticsTomorrow |url=https://roboticstomorrow.com/story/2020/01/collaborative-robotics-%25E2%2580%2594-history-and-recent-trends/14634/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=roboticstomorrow.com |language=en-US}}
As of 2022, Universal Robots was the market leader for collaborative robots, credited with 40-50% of the market share.{{Citation |title=Cobot |date=2022-11-30 |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cobot&oldid=1124792318 |work=Wikipedia |language=en |access-date=2022-12-30}}{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Robotics 24/7 |title=Universal Robots Reports $85M in Revenue for Q1 2022 |url=https://www.robotics247.com/article/universal_robots_reports_85_million_in_revenue_for_q1 |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Robotics 24/7 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Kuokkanen |first=Kimmo |date=2021-03-22 |title=Global Collaborative Robot Market is Forecasted to Reach $2.3bn by 2025 |url=https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/537318200/global-collaborative-robot-market-is-forecasted-to-reach-2-3bn-by-2025 |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=EIN News |language=en-US}}
History
Universal Robots was founded in Odense, Denmark in 2005 by Esben Østergaard, Kasper Støy, and Kristian Kassow.{{Cite web |last=Devi |first=Sharmila |date=2014-05-19 |title=Universal Robots are a big hit |url=https://www.ft.com/content/44e83f24-dc4e-11e3-a33d-00144feabdc0 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2017-09-15 |website=Financial Times}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.universal-robots.com/about-universal-robots/our-history/|title=Our history {{!}} Universal Robots|website=www.universal-robots.com|access-date=2018-05-04}} During joint research at the Syddansk Universitet Odense, the founders came to the conclusion that the robotics market was dominated by heavy, expensive, and unwieldy robots. That led them to develop the idea to make robot technology accessible to small and medium-sized businesses.{{Cite web |date=2019-04-01 |title=Grundlægger Esben Østergaard forlader kæmpesuccesen Universal Robots fire år efter milliard-salg: "Det har været en fantasisk rejse for mig at være med fra tidlig ide til at skabe en global industri" |url=https://www.computerworld.dk/art/247016/grundlaegger-esben-oestergaard-forlader-kaempesuccesen-universal-robots-fire-aar-efter-milliard-salg-det-har-vaeret-en-fantasisk-rejse-for-mig-at-vaere-med-fra-tidlig-ide-til-at-skabe-en-global-industri |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Computerworld |language=da}}
In 2008, the first UR5 cobots were available on the Danish and German markets.
In 2012 the second cobot, UR10, was launched.{{cite web|url= http://www.automationworld.com/control/robotic-solutions-small-and-medium-sized-applications |title= Robotic Solutions for Small and Medium-Sized Applications |access-date= 11 February 2013 |publisher= automationworld.com}}
In spring 2015, the table-top cobot UR3 was launched.{{cite web|url= http://www.universal-robots.com/en//products/ur3-robot/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150325042648/http://www.universal-robots.com/en//products/ur3-robot/ |url-status= dead |archive-date= 25 March 2015 |title= UR3-Roboter|access-date= 5 May 2015 |publisher= Universal Robots}}
In 2015, Universal Robots was acquired by Teradyne for USD 285 million.Godske, Bjørn. "[http://ing.dk/artikel/universal-robots-solgt-19-mia-kroner-176102 Universal Robots solgt for 1,9 mia. kroner]" Ingeniøren, 13 May 2015. Accessed: 13 May 2015.{{Cite news|url=http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/technology/collaborative-robots-open-new-fronts-in-automation|title=Collaborative robots open new fronts in automation|work=The Business Times|access-date=2018-05-04|language=en}}
In 2016, Universal Robots launched the UR Academy, a training platform that offers online and in-class robotics training courses.{{Cite web |title=UR Academy offers the largest, most comprehensive cobot training platform – Advanced Motion & Controls |url=https://www.advancedmotion.com/ur-academy-offers-the-largest-most-comprehensive-cobot-training-platform/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |language=en-US}} In the same year, Universal Robots launched the UR+ Ecosystem, a platform for third party developers to create and sell products that are compatible with collaborative robots from Universal Robots.{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2018-12-06 |title=Universal Robots Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary Of Selling The World's First Commercially Viable Cobot |url=https://www.equipment-news.com/universal-robots-celebrates-10-year-anniversary-of-selling-the-worlds-first-commercially-viable-cobot-2/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News {{!}} Manufacturing {{!}} Automation {{!}} Quality Control |language=en-US}}
At Automatica 2018, a German trade fair for smart automation and robotics Munich, Universal Robots introduced a new generation of collaborative robots called the "e-Series".{{Cite web |last=Crowe |first=Steve |date=2018-06-20 |title=Universal Robots e-Series cobots launch at Automatica |url=https://www.therobotreport.com/universal-robots-e-series-cobots-automatica/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=The Robot Report |language=en-US}}
In 2019, the company launched the UR16e cobot.{{Cite web |title=SHOW NEWS: Universal Robots launches new UR16e cobot |url=https://www.roboticsandautomation.co.uk/news-1/universal-robots-launches-new-ur16e-cobot |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Robotics and Automation |language=en-GB}}
In 2020, Universal Robots had installed 50,000 collaborative robots worldwide.{{Cite web |title=Universal Robots Reaches Industry Milestone With 50,000 Cobots Sold {{!}} 2021-02-08 {{!}} ASSEMBLY |url=https://www.assemblymag.com/articles/96146-universal-robots-reaches-industry-milestone-with-50000-cobots-sold |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.assemblymag.com |language=en}}
In April 2022, Universal Robots announced that it had broken ground on a new headquarter in Odense, Denmark. The headquarter will be shared with Universal Robot's sister company [https://www.mobile-industrial-robots.com/ MiR]. It will be the world's largest hub for collaborative robots and autonomous mobile robots.{{Cite web |last=Odense |first=Invest in |date=2021-03-03 |title=The world's largest Cobot Hub to open in Odense in 2023 |url=https://investinodense.dk/the-worlds-largest-cobot-hub-to-open-in-odense-in-2023/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Invest in Odense |language=en-US}}
In 2022, Universal Robots opened its 100th training center for cobot programming in Täby, Sweden. The company has training centers in 23 countries.{{Cite web |last=Technology |first=Surgical Robotics |date=2022-06-01 |title=Universal Robots Opens 100th Cobot Training Center |url=https://www.surgicalroboticstechnology.com/news/universal-robots-opens-100th-cobot-training-center/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Surgical Robotics Technology |language=en-US}}
At Automatica 2022, a German trade fair for smart automation and robotics, the company revealed the UR20 as its latest product addition.{{Cite web |last=Crowe |first=Steve |date=2022-06-21 |title=Meet UR20: Universal Robots' fastest, strongest cobot ever |url=https://www.therobotreport.com/meet-ur20-universal-robots-fastest-strongest-cobot-ever/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=The Robot Report |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Mennings |first=Robbin |date=2022-06-22 |title=Universal Robots unveils the new UR20 |url=https://wiredworkers.io/universal-robots-unveils-the-new-ur20/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=WiredWorkers |language=en-US}}
Products
Universal Robots has seven collaborative robots on the market. All robots are six-jointed robot arms. The CB3-series consists of the UR3, UR5 and UR10,{{Cite web |title=CB3 Family {{!}} Collaborative robots by Universal Robots |url=https://www.universal-robots.com/cb3/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.universal-robots.com}} while UR16e, UR10e, UR5e and UR3e are part of the newer e-series.{{Cite web |title=e-Series Cobots {{!}} Collaborative robots by Universal Robots |url=https://www.universal-robots.com/e-series/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.universal-robots.com}} The UR20 is the first collaborative robot in a whole new generation of collaborative robots.{{Cite web |title=This is the cobot. Redefined. |url=https://www.universal-robots.com/products/ur20-robot/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.universal-robots.com}}
Universal Robots' collaborative robots are used for many different applications including welding, machine tending, palletizing and grinding (abrasive cutting){{Cite web |title=The Benefits and Capabilities of Cobots by Universal Robots |url=https://blog.hirebotics.com/universal-robots |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=blog.hirebotics.com |language=en}} within industries such as automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals, plastics, food and beverage.{{Cite web |title=HOW ARE COBOTS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR INDUSTRY ? |url=https://www.universal-robots.com/industries/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.universal-robots.com}}
Awards and recognition
Universal Robots received an Honoree in the "robotics" category at Automation World’s “Leadership in Automation” in 2016.{{Cite web |date=2018-01-11 |title=2017 Leadership in Automation: First Team Honorees |url=https://www.automationworld.com/home/article/13318211/2017-leadership-in-automation-first-team-honorees |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Automation World |language=en-us}}
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At the Learning Technologies Award in London at the end of 2017, the UR Academy was awarded “Silver” in the category “Excellence in the design of learning content - international commercial sector”{{Cite web |title=Learning Technologies Awards 2022 |url=https://www.learningtechnologies.co.uk/learning-tech-awards |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Learning Technologies 2023 |language=en-GB}}
In 2018, Esben Østergaard, one of the co-founders of Universal Robots, was awarded the Engelberger Robotics Award for his work on developing Universal Robot's collaborative robots.{{Cite web |date=2018-05-24 |title=Universal Robots Co-Founder & CTO Wins "Nobel Prize" Of Robotics |url=https://www.manufacturing.net/operations/press-release/13196462/universal-robots-cofounder-cto-wins-nobel-prize-of-robotics |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Manufacturing.net |language=en-us}}
At the 2018 Annual Manufacturing Leadership Awards, Universal Robots won three awards in "Collaborative Innovation Leadership" for the UR+ platform, "Smart Products and Services Leadership" for the product portfolio, and co-founder Esben Østergaard received an award in the category "Visionary Leadership".{{Cite press release |last=Sullivan |first=Frost & |title=2018 Manufacturing Leadership Awards Program Honors Leaders of Industry Transformation |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2018-manufacturing-leadership-awards-program-honors-leaders-of-industry-transformation-300666398.html |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/universal-robots-ur3-robotic-arm|title=Universal Robots UR3 Arm Is Small and Nimble, Helps to Build Copies of Itself|website=Universal Robots UR3 Arm Is Small and Nimble, Helps to Build Copies of Itself|language=en|access-date=2019-08-20}}</ref>
- {{official website|https://www.universal-robots.com/}}
Category:Industrial machine manufacturers
Category:Industrial robotics companies
Category:Electronics companies of Denmark
Category:Manufacturing companies of Denmark
Category:Companies based in Odense Municipality
Category:Danish companies established in 2005