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Ever tried to program a robot? If the answer is no, here’s your chance. Universal Robots Academy comprises a series of free e-learning modules that will eliminate your status as a novice and turn you into a robot programmer. And even if you already have some experience with robot programming, you might still benefit from a brush-up.

American workers spend countless hours on their feet walking, lifting, or moving items from one location to another. With the implementation of autonomous mobile robots, the effort involved can become much easier for the average worker, which can benefit both the company as well as the individual.

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French television viewers of the Rio Olympics were treated to robot enhanced camera work with Universal Robots’ partner Augmented Robotics, AR+. The company, located in Laval, France, joined a UR10 robot arm with its proprietary software for an operator-free camera solution where the camera can be mounted to either a gantry or dolly track system to work primarily in closed spaces or to perform precise, repetitive camera movements.

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“Man vs. Machine?” – A plea for rethinking their collaboration

On the way to Industry 4.0 many people wonder: “Will machines substitute human workers?” Since its beginning, the fourth industrial revolution has been discussed alongside with this question. It is as old as automation itself; however, it looks at the winds of our times from the wrong perspective. It is not about “man VS machine”, but “man WITH machine”.

According to a study carried out by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), the number of robots sold globally will have doubled to about 400,000 units by 2018. 70 per cent of total turnover is generated in China, Japan, USA, South Korea and Germany. Here are some figures to compare: South Korea employs 478 industrial robots per 10,000 employees, in Germany, this figure currently stands at 292 units. Of course, this number will not stay at 2.9 per cent robots among 10,000 employees, but even with this number going up, the density of robots dampens the widespread fear of losing one’s job.

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Automation is transforming the food industry with robot applications as diverse as the range of food in our supermarkets. From the first robot-run lettuce farm in the world producing 30,000 heads of lettuce a day to novel fruit-picking robotic systems capable of distinguishing between apples and oranges, productivity all along the food chain is optimized with the revolution now also reaching  the work in meat packing plants. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, meat packing is the most dangerous job in America. It is therefore not surprising that this industry has the highest rate of fluctuation; Repetitive tasks, tiring and strenuous movements are not only an issue for those who work in the meat industry alone, but across the entire food industry.

This post is brought to you by Universal Robots.

This post is brought to you by Universal Robots.

The “dirty, dull and dangerous” describe the tasks we want our ever more sophisticated robots to perform. Letting the robots do this doesn’t mean that we lazily lean back. It means we’re awarded a new drive and a new reality; the robot is man's tool for a better and less mechanical life.

The story of people working with robots is a story of humanity's conflict-ridden quest for a better world. In this context the word “robot” has both a dark and a lighter side, fear of the unknown  and its enormous potential.

It is easy to be intimidated by the rapid development in robotics. The robots are regularly cast as the villains - as technology run amok depicted in science fiction with robots seeking world domination.

Quick fact: The robot is not a conscious being.  It is not possible to even create one. Robots are what we build them to be, and robots do what we program them to do. Neither more nor less. But that doesn’t keep us from anthropomorphizing them..

At Universal Robots we see this on a rather harmless level when our users give the robot arms nicknames. What in reality is a useful and advanced tool is called Louis, Robert, Thelma & Louise and so on.

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Find the Right 6 Axis Robot

Choose between three flexible and lightweight 6 axis robot arms

Universal Robots' 3 arms are all highly flexible and lightweight 6-axis robot arms. Their 6 axis robot arms are designed to excel in a wide range of applications. The collaborative robots, or cobots, are categorized based on payload limits. The different models also have reach, weight and footprint differences.

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