VR at UR: See Cobots in Another Dimension

See the robot, be the robot! That’s exactly what will happen when you step into the expansive two-story IMTS booth of Universal Robots (UR) in the North Building and grab a virtual reality (VR) headset.

The interface will give you exact tool and joint positions in real time as you manipulate the arm with the virtual gripper. The VR application is promoting the new Application ConfigURator, an interactive support program launching on the company’s website to help manufacturers integrate their cobots even faster. The ConfigURator lets you design the entire application online and see a simulation of how it will look in your facility. You can also get advice on the various selections to be made for your setup and download a solution package including design, programming and interfacing tips.

The virtual reality world is not the only one you can get sucked into at the cobot leader’s booth. A show-stopping giant display of eight choreographed UR robots with TV monitors attached will share a fascinating “Story in Movement” experience with a leaping narrative jumping from screen to screen.

For attendees still wondering whether a lack of robotics programming experience will prevent them from integrating cobots into their production, the cobot market leader offers free UR Academy modules available both online and through big touchscreen interfaces at the booth. The interactive training modules deliver the introduction necessary to master basic programming skills while more advanced users can gain insights on how to create and work with coordinate systems, variables and conditional statements, and how to use the robot’s wizard to easily create a program for packaging.

CTO and co-founder of Universal Robots, Esben Østergaard, explains that it is unusual in the industry to make robot training curriculum of this caliber available for free: “This is a long-term investment for us. We want to raise robot literacy, and the reason for speeding up the entry of cobots is not only to optimize production here and now,” says Østergaard. “We are facing a looming skills gap in the manufacturing industry that we need to bridge by all means possible. Facilitating knowledge creation and access to our robots is an important step in that direction.”