Three former Universal Robots developers—who were deeply involved in creating the world’s first collaborative robot—have decided to strike out on their own. Their new venture, dubbed Purple Robotics, recently announced that it plans to roll out its new product to the United States immediately.
That product, the PR10, is an electrical vacuum gripper with double-grip functionality. The team specifically designed it to work well in conjunction with cobots. In addition to giving it the capability to hold several items at once, Purple Robotics was also able to make the air supply exclusively internal. The PR10’s air flow is completely self-contained. The company says this helps allow for quick and easy integration into production lines, sometimes in as little as 30 minutes. The founders indicate that their product could have utility across a range of applications, including pick-and-place, machine tending, and palletization.
Market focus
Purple Robotics planned its launch against an auspicious backdrop in the sense that it figures to play in an extremely high-growth industry. Qyresearch Publishing forecasts that the global cobot market will surpass $3.3 billion by 2020 at a compound annual growth rate of over 50%.
The Danish firm appears poised to capitalize on such favorable industry trends by partnering with a number of large U.S. distributors. Olympus Controls and Thinkbot Solutions have already signed on to carry the PR10, and at least 6 other American companies will follow suit in the near future. These parties are sold on the new product’s versatility and ease of use. “A single package that can be bought off-the-shelf and quickly deployed without any engineering is a huge benefit for our customers,” said Nick Armenta, automation engineer at Olympus Controls.
No hard feelings
Adding to the momentum of the newly launched company appears to be support from its founders’ erstwhile employer. Universal Robots has already signed Purple Robotics onto its online distribution channel for cobot accessories, which it feels could be complemented nicely by the PR10. The Purple Robotics team cited studies conducted during development which indicated that the double-gripper could reduce production time by nearly 50% in certain applications. Regardless, at least, it looks as though the parties involved will use their experiences together to partner rather than compete in the short term.