Automate is coming to Detroit this year May 12-15. I cannot make it due to family events. When I began the phase of my career that included robotics, automation, and machinery, most of the trade shows were in Detroit due to the influence of the auto industry. There was a programmable controller show, vision show, and robotics show. All separate; all pretty big. Ah, for the good old days.
I have robot news previewing the show from all my friends in Denmark. OnRobot who continues to innovate in end effectors. I was positive that would never be a growth and innovation area, but they proved me wrong. Also more news from Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots.
OnRobot to Showcase Effortless Automation Deployment
OnRobot will showcase its D:PLOY platform and latest gripper innovations at Automate 2025. In collaboration with integration partner EMI, OnRobot will offer attendees hands-on experience demonstrating how D:PLOY fully automates the deployment of robotic applications. This will be showcased through a live demo of a D:PLOY packaging application featuring OnRobot’s VGC10 gripper, set up rapidly in just hours with no programming.
D:PLOY is the first automatic development platform for cobots and industrial robots that enables the configuration of complete, Off-The-Shelf robotic systems for high-mix manufacturing applications. With full price transparency and same-day installation, D:PLOY gives manufacturers the freedom to adapt in real time, without relying on external experts or programming – and with typical ROI in less than a year.
Visitors will also experience the benefits of OnRobot’s One System Solution: seamless integration of the company’s end-of-arm-tooling across all major robot brands, and true plug-and-produce functionality. Tool changes happen in seconds – no rewiring or reprogramming – showing how easily manufacturers can scale across new applications.
A diverse range of OnRobot’s flexible grippers will be on display, including the new 2FG14, 3FG25, and VGP30. These tools are designed to easily automate diverse tasks, support quick workpiece changeovers, and empower operators to take control. Notably, the VGP30 high-payload pneumatic vacuum gripper is a powerful and robust solution for palletizing boxes, capable of handling cost-saving, thinner cardboard and irregular shapes and porous surfaces. It is ready for immediate deployment out of the box and features intelligent vacuum control that automatically adjusts to any box or interlayer, minimizing air usage and energy costs – ideal for high-mix palletizing applications. Additional OnRobot grippers, including the 2FG7, 3FG15, and Soft Gripper, will be showcased by EMI.
Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots to Debut New and AI-powered Automation Solutions Across Integrated Industry Workflows
Joint showcase from Teradyne Robotics companies will feature comprehensive automation solutions across automotive, electronics manufacturing, and logistics zones, highlighting the power of collaborative and mobile robotics.
Universal Robots (UR) and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) will demonstrate their joint commitment to empowering customers with increased productivity through a diverse range of automation applications at Automate 2025.
“Our combined presence is a powerful demonstration of how Teradyne Robotics addresses the complete spectrum of automation needs across diverse industries,” says Ujjwal Kumar, Group President of Teradyne Robotics. “The applications on display across automotive, electronics and logistics emphasize our holistic approach to automation that empowers businesses to optimize their entire workflow, from component handling to final palletization,” says Kumar, who will deliver the Automate keynote “Tech Hype vs Industrial Need: Separating Science Fiction from Scalable Solutions” at 9:00am on Thursday, May 15.
The Automotive zone will include a production flow, utilizing the same type of automotive workpiece across various applications. AI Automation will demonstrate painting with a new explosion-proof (ATEX certified) UR cobot; Mission Design will present dispensing applications; and 3D Infotech will feature a quality inspection process using a UR cobot and the new UR AI Accelerator toolkit to examine the part assembled by Mission Design, highlighting enhanced perception capabilities. Finally, Robotiq will demonstrate palletizing of the packaged workpiece.
The Electronics zone will feature Adaptive Robotics, performing cobot-assisted soldering of electronic components, alongside a hands-on demonstration of UR’s new OptiMove motion control algorithm that dynamically optimizes speed and acceleration within hardware limits, resulting in smoother cobot movements, reduced vibrations, and improved cycle times.
The AI Accelerator, UR’s new toolkit developed in close collaboration with NVIDIA, will also be hard at work in the Electronics zone, incorporated into Flexxbotics’ machine tending solution to provide improved part localization, and in Acumino’s innovative cobot training demo executing complex assembly of electronic components.
The Material Handling & Logistics Zone will underscore the combined strengths of UR and MiR to deliver fully integrated autonomous intralogistics solutions that are now powered by AI technology leveraging NVIDIA’s accelerated computing libraries:
MiR’s autonomous Pallet Jack – the MiR1200 – will demonstrate the movement of pallets within warehouses and production facilities with AI-driven perception systems for robust pallet recognition, even if pallets are broken or imperfectly loaded. The Pallet Jack will work with the MC600, a new mobile cobot that features a UR20 cobot mounted on a MiR600 AMR for increased payload and reach. This integrated MC600 solution, which just won an RBR50 award, will palletize and de-palletize the MiR1200.
