Universal Robots Academy offers free online training for robot programming

The modules of the UR Academy guide each participant through basic tasks, such as programming a UR robot arm to pack parts into a box on a conveyor belt.

How to create safety zones around a robot application and program the robot to brake when it moves within them is also part of the curriculum at UR Academy.

Take a linear measurement, measure the tool flange, and enter the data into the Teach Pendant: The learning modules of the UR Academy are not only interactive but also highly practical.

With Universal Robots (UR), anyone can now teach themselves the first steps of robot programming. Because with the new Universal Robots Academy, users and robot enthusiasts worldwide now have access to an online training program that teaches them the basics of handling the collaborative lightweight robots UR3, UR5, and UR10 for free. The goal of this freely available educational offering is to reduce apprehensions about automation solutions and to make it even easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to get started with collaborative robotics. They should benefit from even faster integration times regarding their robot applications.

"With this new learning resource, we especially want to reach those companies that still consider robotics to be too expensive and too complex: from now on, they can simply log into the Academy and experience firsthand how easy it is to get started with this topic. This allows them to imagine which tasks they could automate in their production with our robots," says Helmut Schmid, Managing Director of Universal Robots GmbH and General Manager Western Europe.

Ready to start in just six training units

In the Universal Robots Academy, each participant is taught the basic knowledge for the installation and programming of UR robots in six interactive modules. Using practical simulations, they receive an introduction to tool setup and I/O connection, as well as to initial simple programming and the configuration of safety settings for individual applications. Further training units are already in planning. In addition to German, the online courses are available in English, Spanish, French, and Chinese.

Among the first participants of the Universal Robots Academy is the American household appliance manufacturer Whirlpool Corporation. In its factory in Ohio, the online training already forms the basis for training all employees in handling UR robots. "We no longer waste time sending our employees off-site for basic training. All modules can be completed independently of each other, and everyone can work through them at their own pace. This allows us to flexibly choose which modules to offer to different workers—depending on their skills and their level of interaction with the robots. The fact that the training is also offered free of charge surprised us even more positively," summarizes Tim Hossler, Controls Engineer at Whirlpool, the benefits of the in-house training.

Robot know-how for everyone

"We see the Universal Robots Academy as a long-term investment," explains Helmut Schmid about UR's decision to make the training free of charge. "In our industry, this is certainly an unusual step, but we want to enable a broad base to acquire robot knowledge. Because with the rapid development—especially in the field of collaborative robots—manufacturing companies are facing a growing skills shortage. By making access to our robots easier for today's and future generations of factory workers, we are contributing to sustainably closing this gap."