Universal Robots, which operates its Americas headquarters in Novi, recently surveyed 1,200 manufacturers across North America and Europe about their use of technology and future investment plans, and more than 50 percent of the respondents indicated they are now using AI and machine learning in their production processes.
“AI isn’t just hype,” says Ujjwal Kumar, group president of Teradyne Robotics, parent company of Universal Robots in Odense, Denmark. “We’re seeing significant interest in physical AI.
“By adding high-performance compute hardware to our control systems and investing in targeted software upgrades, we’re establishing UR as the preferred robotics platform for developing and deploying AI applications.”
At UR’s IMTS booth in Chicago (Sept. 9-14), the company will show a machine-tending application with new AI-based perception capabilities running on NVIDIA Jetson and Isacc acceleration libraries integrated into UR’s new PolyScope X platform.
The combination enables dynamic path planning, ensuring the robot takes the most effective, collision-free paths in and out of the machine without requiring extensive user configuration. UR plans to make this cutting-edge technology available for a wide range of applications, including machine tending and other material handling tasks.
“We’re looking forward to showing IMTS attendees robust deep learning solutions that will significantly impact manufacturing, especially for high mix/low volume production, which is increasingly common in machine tending,” Kumar adds.
AI will also be a focal point during UR’s Cobot Walks — guided tours throughout IMTS that explore the latest cobot innovations in machine tending, metal fabricating, support tools, UR+ peripherals, and education.
According to Universal Robots, an important production parameter is cobot uptime. To ensure seamless operations and increased efficiency, UR has launched the enhanced UR Care Service Plans that now offer preventive field service, onsite break-fix, dedicated remote support, and secure cloud connectivity-based cobot service/performance monitoring through UR Connect, showcased for the first time at IMTS.
“We want to be our customers’ steadfast ally, helping them optimize performance, maintain peak hardware condition and uptime, and extend the lifespan of their cobots,” says Anurag Thakur, vice president of services and aftermarket at Universal Robots, who also emphasizes UR Care’s new Field Service program, an offering that both ensures prompt onsite repairs with industry-leading response times and preventive maintenance visits by skilled automation experts.
Unlike other service and repair offerings that often involve numerous platforms, channels, and logins, UR now provides all service, support, and training through the fleet management portal myUR.
With more than 60 collaborative robot arms from UR hard at work throughout the show floor at McCormick Place, IMTS 2024 is a testament to the rapidly expanding UR ecosystem with OEM, UR+, and Certified System Integrator partners exhibiting a wide range of UR cobot-powered applications.
IMTS attendees can also find UR at the Student Summit booth #121515 featuring four interactive demonstrations, including a block stacking challenge for students, UR’s education kit for the classroom, and a partner product featuring a UR cobot on an integrated mechatronics cart with safety.
Founded in 2005, Universal Robots is a leading provider of collaborative robots (cobots) used across a wide range of industries and in education.
Since introducing the world’s first commercially viable cobot in 2008, Universal Robots has sold more than 75,000 cobots worldwide.
For more information, visit www.universal-robots.com.
