Revolutionizing Industries with Universal Robots

Esben Østergaard's Collaborative Robots Transform Industrial Processes

Universal Robots was born out of the need for a lighter, more user-friendly option in the robotics industry. The existing market was dominated by heavy, expensive, and unwieldy robots. Østergaard's design offers five key benefits: easy programming, flexible deployment, fast set-up, collaborative and safe operation, and quick payback.

The unique properties of Universal Robots set it apart from other designs. The UR arms can be implemented in virtually any industry, in any process, and by any employee. With over 10,000 operating UR robots worldwide, the design's universality and safety are evident. The robots are TUV certified, ensuring users are in the safest of hands.

The realization of this design was a journey of prototypes, from a three-axis robot to the final six-axis robot. The first product, UR5, revolutionized the industrial robots market. The design's technical specifications, including repeatability, temperature range, power consumption, and advanced adjustable safety functions, make it an efficient and reliable choice for various industries.

Universal Robots' operation is simple and intuitive. The lightweight robot arms come with a control box and teach pendant. After mounting the robot on a flat surface and plugging in the power outlet, users can operate the robot by recording positions using hand guiding and saving them as robot programs.

The project's timeline spans from 2004, when the idea of flexible robots was conceived, to 2016, when Universal Robots was represented in 12 countries worldwide. The design faced challenges, such as a falling accident during the development years, which led to a realization of the need for higher quality components.

Universal Robots has made automation accessible to companies of all sizes. It has transformed employees from operators to robot programmers, improving work environments by taking over dull, dangerous, and dirty tasks. The design, protected by patent EP1996376B1, is a testament to Østergaard's innovative thinking and commitment to advancing technology.