Universal Robots Collaborative Robot Family by Universal Robots (Teradyne): status and timeline

Universal Robots Collaborative Robot Family

Collaborative robots designed for safe human-robot work without barriers. e-Series through Gen 7 g-Series span 3–35 kg payloads. Over 100,000 deployed in manufacturing, electronics, logistics, education.

ScalingStage 5 of 5

100,000+ cobots deployed. Gen 7 launched September 2026. 40% global cobot market share.

Updated 27d agoChecked 10 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · Gen 7 customer deployment

Founded in Odense, Denmark2005Complete.
First commercial cobot released2008Complete.
Teradyne acquisitionJan 2015Complete.
100,000th cobot shippedFeb 2025Complete.
Gen 7 unveiled at IMTS14 Sep 2026Complete.
Gen 7 customer deploymentTarget 2027Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Upcoming

2027Gen 7 customer deployment (next)
2027PolyScope X AI features rolled out

Current obstacles

Speed vs. force-limitingSafety design restricts peak speed compared to unrestricted industrial robots. Cobots dominate light work; struggle in heavy welding or stamping.
Task complexity and autonomySimple tasks teach easily; complex sequences still require manual programming or external software. True task autonomy limited.
Chinese competitionDobot, AUBO, JAKA close capability gaps while undercutting on price. UR's premium depends on software and integration advantage.

Physics limits

Safety requires bounded speedForce-limiting requires max ~250 mm/s collaborative speed. Slower than unrestricted industrial robots for heavy, high-speed tasks.
Payload-speed trade-offLighter arm moves faster; stronger arm heavier. Gen 7 improves this but cannot match power density of large industrial robots.
Learning still structuredPolyScope X AI still needs explicit task definition or sample data. Fully self-supervised task learning from raw demonstration unsolved.

How it works

4 parts

Force-limiting safety

Collaborative design

Lightweight arms and torque sensors detect collision. Auto-stops on contact. Safe operation near humans without barriers.

Accessible programming

Teach-pendant and visual UI

Operators hand-guide or use PolyScope graphical interface. No coding for basic tasks. Faster deployment than traditional robots.

Modular mounting

Flexible deployment

Small and lightweight vs. industrial robots. Desktop mounting, mobile bases, or integration into larger systems. Standard tool flanges.

PolyScope X

Cloud-ready software

Gen 7 OS for cloud integration, data logging, and AI task learning. Modern, extensible platform vs. older URCap system.

Spec sheet

Spec	Universal Robots Collaborative Robot Family
Cumulative cobots deployed	100,000+^R (reported)
Global cobot market share	~40%^E (estimated)
e-Series payload	3–16 kg^R (reported)
g-Series (Gen 7) payload	10–35 kg^R (reported)
Maximum reach	1,750 mm^R (reported)
UR+ partners	300+^R (reported)
Certified UR+ accessories	500+^R (reported)

^R reported by the company · ^E our estimate

Papers & demos

4 items

Sep 2026demo
Gen 7 launched at IMTS Chicago (opens robotics247.com)Complete platform redesign: new g-Series robots, CB7 controller, TP7 pendant, PolyScope X OS for industrial AI.
2015demo
Teradyne acquires UR for $285M (opens therobotreport.com)Teradyne built robotics division by merging UR's cobot expertise with Teradyne's test systems and software.
2008demo
First commercial cobot released (opens en.wikipedia.org)UR released first viable cobot, pioneering the category. Safe human-robot collaboration without fencing.
2005demo
Universal Robots founded (opens en.wikipedia.org)Founded by Østergaard, Støy, Kassow to commercialize collaborative robot technology.

Update log

5 updates

About Universal Robots (Teradyne)

The team behind Universal Robots Collaborative Robot Family

Universal Robots (Teradyne)

UR cobot, Gen 7, PolyScope X

Danish cobot manufacturer founded in 2005 in Odense. Acquired by Teradyne in 2015. Global cobot market leader: 100,000+ deployed, ~40% market share. Launched Gen 7 in September 2026.

Pioneered the cobot category in 2008. Now commands ~40% of global cobot market with 100,000+ units deployed.
September 2026: launched Gen 7 with new g-Series arms, CB7 controller, TP7 pendant, and PolyScope X OS for AI.
Teradyne Robotics recovered momentum: 33% YoY revenue growth in Q2 2026 after 2024-2025 headwinds.

universal-robots.com (opens universal-robots.com)Company profile →

Founded: 200521 yrs
Headquarters: Denmark
Status: Subsidiary
Valuation: subsidiary
Works in: RoboticsFactory arms
Coverage: 1 program · 5 updateslatest 27d agochecked 10 Oct
Customers: Flex Ltd (opens flex.com)
Partners: UR+ Partners
Acquired by: Teradyne, Inc (opens teradyne.com)
People: Esben ØstergaardCo-founderKasper StøyCo-founderKristian KassowCo-founder

Spec

Universal Robots Collaborative Robot Family

Cumulative cobots deployed

100,000+^R (reported)

Global cobot market share

~40%^E (estimated)

e-Series payload

3–16 kg^R (reported)

g-Series (Gen 7) payload

10–35 kg^R (reported)

Maximum reach

1,750 mm^R (reported)

UR+ partners

300+^R (reported)

Certified UR+ accessories

500+^R (reported)

Universal Robots Collaborative Robot Family

Milestones

Most important updates

Upcoming

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Collaborative design

Teach-pendant and visual UI

Flexible deployment

Cloud-ready software

Spec sheet

Papers & demos

Update log

Mon 14 Sep

Wed 22 Apr

Feb 2025

Jan 2015

2008

About Universal Robots (Teradyne)

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Collaborative design

Teach-pendant and visual UI

Flexible deployment

Cloud-ready software

Spec sheet

Papers & demos

Update log

Mon 14 Sep

Wed 22 Apr

Feb 2025

Jan 2015

2008

About Universal Robots (Teradyne)