Robot arm rings the NASDAQ closing bell
The UR5 robot arm from Universal Robots rang the NASDAQ closing bell on Tuesday, November 12 to mark the launch of the ROBO-STOX Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF. The robotic bell ringing marked the first time a non-human has performed this prestigious task.
Chosen by ROBO-STOX to represent the burgeoning robotics industry, the UR5 robot arm, equipped with a three-fingered gripper from Schunk, pressed the button activating NASDAQ’s closing bell.
Co-founder of ROBO-STOX and publisher of The Robot Report, Frank Tobe, says the choice of Universal Robots as the bell ringer was due to its unique industry position: “We didn’t want to showcase a robot only used in a research lab. We wanted to show viable robotics technology, well-positioned for a future IPO, that is selling and being implemented in a wide range of industries today.”
Ed Mullen, national sales manager with Universal Robots in North America, is delighted to have the UR5 robot arm be chosen to mark the launch of ROBO-STOX: “Our collaborative robots have pioneered a new trend within automation, enabling employees to work directly alongside a portable robot that doesn’t require safety fencing,” he says. “Your new colleague can be a robot that optimizes production and alleviates workers of monotonous tasks, often promoting them to higher skilled positions.”
Vice President and CCO of Universal Robots, Thomas Visti, says the company is targeting a new market for automation within small and medium sized businesses by making a robot that can safely work alongside employees, is affordable and easy to use: “The moves in the bell ringing application are programmed in “teach mode” allowing the user to simply grab the robot arm and show it the desired moves,” he says. “This eliminates the steep learning curve often experienced when trying to program and operate a robot.”
If the robot comes into contact with an employee, the built-in force control limits the forces at contact and does not cause bodily harm, adhering to the current safety requirements on force and torque limitations. Eighty percent of the more than 2,000 UR robots deployed globally operate with no safety guarding in the immediate vicinity of employees. The robot is quickly moved around the production site and integrates in all industries – from the small machine shop to the large auto assembly line. Payback period is typically 3-8 months.
Visit the Universal Robots website for more information.
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