Mr. von Hollen, you presented your e-Series at Automatica. What distinguishes the new series from the previous UR arms?
Von Hollen: Fundamentally, we at Universal Robots remain true to the promise we have been making to our customers for over ten years as a pioneer in collaborative robotics: Our robots are flexible to use, easy to set up and program, pay for themselves quickly, and they are safe. We have sharpened this profile with the e-Series and want to further expand our leading position on the market.
The most obvious new feature of the e-Series is the robot's user interface, whose look and feel we have completely redesigned. It is even more intuitive for the user - thanks to the simplified navigation, an application can be programmed with fewer clicks than before. This has a direct impact on the time required for commissioning and therefore also on the amortization period.
However, there are also new features that are not immediately obvious: For example, the e-Series has a force-torque sensor integrated into the wrist and is therefore much more sensitive than the previous models. This extends the range of applications to include more complex applications such as polishing and makes the robot even more flexible overall. We have also equipped our patented safety system with two new functions: the safety-monitored stop time and the safety-monitored stop distance. Each of the 17 safety functions is now certified by TÜV to Performance Level d Cat. 3. This is an absolute novelty on the market and a milestone for human-robot collaboration.
We have also worked on many small details. These include a more powerful bus system, the simplified tool connection and the robot base, whose design we have standardized.

How has the new series been received?
Von Hollen: Even at the product launch at Automatica, the interest was overwhelming. The industry speculated for a long time about what Universal Robots' next big step would be. And I won't deny that I also felt a certain amount of tension shortly before the launch. The relief was all the greater when the initial feedback showed that we had backed the right horse with the e-Series.

There are now competitors that produce lightweight robots, and traditional manufacturers of large robots such as ABB and Kuka are also pushing into the segment. What are you doing differently?
Von Hollen: An important recipe for success is the openness of our platform. We focus purely on the robot arm and deliberately refrain from supplying the gripping technology at the same time. Instead, we offer Universal Robots+, an online ecosystem on which more than 90 peripheral products from various developers are offered as plug & play components - including grippers, sensors, software and other accessories. This enables users and integrators to easily tailor their application to their own requirements. Everyone gets exactly what they need and only pays for what they need.
The Universal Robots Academy should also be mentioned in this context. This is an online training course that enables users to learn how to program our robots in less than 90 minutes using various training modules.
Our strategy is simple: we take the complexity away from the machine, thereby releasing innovation and creativity in humans. This pays off for our customers.

Universal Robots is a pioneer in collaborative robotics. Do you sense an increasing acceptance of robots as colleagues?
Von Hollen: We are indeed feeling it, and there are also factors beyond our business figures that prove this. For example, we are very pleased to note that it is now absolutely common for the UR robots to be affectionately given individual names by employees of the respective companies. This shows wonderfully how much the workforce appreciates the relief associated with the robots.
Nevertheless, there are still reservations. We want to dispel them. We have the support of our users as convinced multipliers, and that is more than helpful.

What are you doing to allay customers' fears of HRC?
Von Hollen: There are a few things to consider when implementing HRC applications safely, but it's not rocket science either. We take every opportunity to educate companies about this topic - be it in person at their premises, for example during our roadshow, at trade fairs or via whitepapers and e-books that we make available to them.

Where do you see challenges in implementing HRC in Germany?
Von Hollen: The biggest challenge is to first create awareness of the possibilities of HRC among our target group, i.e. small and medium-sized enterprises. In fact, many SMEs do not yet see robotics as a realistic option for their business. This is a challenge posed by a lack of awareness, which we are happy to take on.