Universal Robotsshowcaseditstechnologiesat PACK Expo in Chicago last month, including its<a href="https://www.universal-robots.com/news-and-media/news-center/universal-robots-unveils-gen-7-new-platform-industrial-automation-physical-ai/" rel="nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>Gen 7robotics platform for deployment of physical AI on factory floorsand itsPolyscope Xsoftware platform with built-in cybersecurity elements.
At PACK Expo, Universal Robotsshowcasedhow the Gen 7 platform combines the company’s CB7 Core controller, TP7 Core teach pendant, the SP7 Smart Panel tool-flange interface and thePolyScopeX software platform.
The platform also usesCognex 2D and 3D industrial vision systems, whichoperatedirectly on the Gen 7 platform,demonstratinghow machine vision and robotics integrate
“This new [technology] is intended to be appealing to manufacturers who have never deployed automation before, to be able to embrace it and own it and understand it,” said Silas Neale, the regional sales manager with Teradyne Robotics, which owns Universal Robots.
“This drastically reduces the complexity there, so it’s opening up more and more doors for anybody to be able to do the automation,” he said.
The companydemonstrated how, with new cabling architecture, they can attach their newteachpendant—which establishesa direct connection between the operator and the robot to support programming and operation—to their cobot.
The demonstration showed howthe industrial vision systems,teach pendant and Gen 7 andPolyscopeplatforms are used with the cobot.
“What that does is it gives anyone implementing the robots a single unified interface,” Neale said. The demonstration was geared for semiconductor manufacturing settings, but Neale said it can be used in many other applications.
Industry trends
Other trends taken intoconsideration forthe technologies include accessibility, connectivity, and physical AI deployment. For example, the unification of industrial vision systems with their platforms can help reduce complexity and lead to faster deployment of the technologies.
“When we talk about the physical AI piece […] we make that handshaking with our equipment andtheirsvirtually seamless.That’simproved tremendously. Now that we have all the communication andadditionalpower on board, we can power and communicate with a lot more peripheral equipment,” Neale said.
He said that from a larger trend perspective, the platform’s design aims to allow smooth deployment of the technology for manufacturers.
“As a manufacturer, you can take ownership of that automation.It’srapid to deploy and easy to take ownership,” he said.
Cybersecurity considerations
These productsalsohave cybersecurity embedded into their design.
“ThePolyscopeX platform has been built from the ground up to comply withCyber Resilience Act, which is being implemented in Europe in 2027, and we suspect that’ll soon follow here,” Neale said.
The European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act, which took effect last year, marked asignificant changein how manufacturers in the EU manage cybersecurity for connected products.
As digital parts are included in everything from industrial machines to smart sensors, the CRA creates a consistent framework to make sure these products remain secure during their entire lifecycle.
The safety functions of theUniversal Robots platform run on aPLdCategory 3 safety system,Neale said, and isTUV certifiedtoISO 10218andUL 1740.TeradyneRobotics is certified toIEC 62443‑4‑1maturity levels,whichevaluatehow well a product manufacturer implements secure development lifecycle practices.
These features are released as manufacturers continue to struggle with ransomware and cyberattacks, as concerns rise in supply chain risks, business ecosystems, financial impacts of attacks, and overall safety issues when preparing for such incidents.
