ABB pioneered the world’s first commercial all-electric microprocessor-controlled robot in 1974. Since then, it has introduced a number of robotics innovations from high-speed “delta” robots, for picking and packaging, to the world’s first truly collaborative industrial robot, YuMi, in 2015.
The impact of robots on manufacturing processes and industrial productivity has been revolutionary. Their ability to achieve huge increases in output and process quality - and similarly huge reductions in downtime, and operating and labor costs - have made them indispensable to industrial production.
In 2008, ABB introduced
SafeMove, a software-based monitoring solution that allows people to work safely in close proximity to robots, saving space and boosting productivity.
Seven years later, ABB again revolutionized industrial robotics with the launch of
YuMi, a smart robot for small-parts assembly specifically designed to collaborate with human colleagues, without the need for cages or fences.
YuMi, meaning “you and me”, is a two-armed robot equipped with dexterous grippers, sensitive force control feedback, flexible software and built-in safety features that collectively allow for programming through teaching rather than coding.