Collaborative Robotics Trends

Discover the power of cobots! Collaborative robots, or cobots, promise to revolutionize the manufacturing industry. A free webinar on March 11, will delve into the core concepts of the technology, highlighting their key features and diverse applications. From assembly and packaging to machine tending and quality inspection, the expert speakers will explore real-world examples of cobots in action.

FANUC America Corp. today launched a new site for students, customers, integrators, and industry partners to learn about its industrial and collaborative robots. FANUC Tech Transfer offers engineer-guided tips, video tutorials, and answers to common questions for programming and setup of robots and cobots. The company said it designed the free resource to enhance end-user skills and confidence.

Despite a lack of growth in 2023 and 2024, the latest report from ABI Research predicted that revenue from collaborative robots will increase from $970 million in 2023 to $7.2 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate or CAGR of 28%. The research firm said safety, lower average selling prices, and accessibility will drive cobot sales in the coming years. “Cobots are at the forefront of the robotics revolution,” stated George Chowdhury, robotics industry analyst at ABI Research.

Universal Robots A/S this week held Collaborate North America 2025 in Novi, Mich. It was the company’s first U.S.-based event in its global series of regional conferences and trade shows. Collaborate brought together about 750 partners and potential customers to show off collaborative robot technologies in the UR+ Partner Ecosystem and to discuss the future of the industry.

NEURA Robotics GmbH today announced that it has raised €120 million, or $123.3 million U.S., in Series B funding. The Metzingen, Germany-based company said the investment validates its leadership in “cognitive robotics” and in European robotics as the region collaborates and competes with the U.S. and China. “Cognitive robotics is expected to become bigger than the smartphone,” stated David Reger, founder and CEO of NEURA Robotics.

Up to 1,000 ft. into the air, construction workers need extensive safety rigging to install brackets for glass panels. This essential task not only puts employees in danger, but it’s also repetitive and boring. To keep workers safe and allow them to do more high-value work, Harmon Inc., a U.S.-based glazing company, is automating the process with technology from Raise Robotics and Universal Robots A/S.

Flexiv Robotics Inc. today announced that has partnered with Kurabo Industries Ltd. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company said it plans to integrate its force-control technology with Kurabo’s KURASENSE 3D vision sensing technology to develop the KURAVIZON adaptive robot. “The KURAVIZON system is a testament to Flexiv’s commitment to expanding our global presence by delivering cutting-edge automation solutions,” stated Owen Wu, Flexiv’s business development manager for the Asia-Pacific region.

Universal Robots A/S, a global developer of collaborative robots, is launching what it described as “the largest cobot conference and trade show” in the U.S., Collaborate North America 2025. The free event takes place on Jan. 28 in Novi, Mich. This one-day, in-person show will bring together more than 500 manufacturing professionals from North America.

In Episode 180 of The Robot Report Podcast, we interview Chris Savoia, head of ecosystem success for the Americas at Universal Robots A/S. He discusses the evolution of collaborative robots, the importance of education and reskilling in automation, and recent advances in higher-payload robots and mobile manipulators. Savoia also shares insights from his podcast, “Re-Automated,” and highlights the significance of Universal Robots‘ new Polyscope X platform for developers.

This week, Lam Research Corp. introduced Dextro, its first collaborative robot arm designed to optimize critical maintenance tasks on semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment. The Fremont, Calif.-based company announced that multiple advanced wafer fabs around the world have deployed Dextro. As fabs continue to grow in size, geographic diversity, and equipment complexity, chipmakers need to optimize the effectiveness of their human engineers by increasing automation, noted Lam Research.