Universal Robots Redesigns Arm, Controller and Pendant Together
Gen 7 arrives as an end-to-end platform change: three new arms, a controller with 40% more compute in a 30% smaller box, a lighter pendant, and a smart panel at the tool flange.
Universal Robots used IMTS in Chicago on 14 September to launch Gen 7, its seventh-generation platform, and the notable thing is how little of it is just a new arm.
Three g-Series arms lead the announcement, named for payload and reach: the UR10g-1750 at 10 kg and 1,750 mm, the UR17g-1300 at 17 kg and 1,300 mm, and the UR18g-950 at 18 kg and 950 mm. The CB7 Core controller offers 40 percent more computing power in a 30 percent smaller footprint than previous generations, is available standalone or for compact cabinet integration, and remains compatible with existing e-Series and UR Series arms. The TP7 Core teach pendant is more than 20 percent lighter, with a full HD display, a virtual joystick, multiple grip positions and configurable smart buttons. The SP7 Smart Panel sits at the tool flange with safety-compliant freedrive, LED indicators and three configurable buttons for PolyScope X Smart Skills.
All of it runs PolyScope X, with open APIs and ROS2 communication for edge-AI applications on industrial PCs or external processing. Jean-Pierre Hathout, president of Teradyne Robotics Group, said robots of the AI era must be advanced rather than complicated, and described Gen 7 as an end-to-end redesign that reduces integration friction.
For plant engineers the certifications may matter more than the payloads. Gen 7 is rated PLd Category 3 per ISO 13849-1, TÜV certified to ISO 10218-1 and UL 1740, and carries IEC 62443-4-1 ML3 for its secure development lifecycle — which changes what has to be argued during a risk assessment when IT is in the room.
The tool flange delivering data, power and safety directly is the other practical detail. It removes the dress-pack rework that follows almost every camera or force sensor added after a cell is commissioned. More than 20 ecosystem partners, including Cognex, Schunk, Robotiq and Inbolt, showed Gen 7 integrations through the UR+ validation programme.