协作机器人技术已经走了很长一段路。不久前，他们被许多行业中的许多人驳回了，只是玩具。今天，它们代表了机器人市场的越来越多的部分。根据国际机器人联合会（IFR）的说法，协作机器人约占所有机器人销售的3％；但是，到2025年，这个数字预计将跃升至34％。
在自动化世界年度会议this year, as collaborative robots—particularly those from Universal Robots—were highlighted in more than one presentation.
Universal Robots has been one of the primary companies at the forefront of the collaborative robotics movement and their efforts are being recognized this year with the recent Robotic Industries Association (RIA) announcement that Esben Østergaard will be a recipient of the Engelberger Robotics Award. Østergaard is the co-founder and chief technology officer at Universal Robots, where he directs the development of Universal Robots’ collaborative robot arms.
Østergaard是与合作机器人公司相关联的第一人，该公司在技术类别中获得Engelberger Robotics奖。Rethink Robotics的Rodney Brooks在2014年赢得了领导力类别。
Key aspects of Østergaard’s work at Universal Robots includes the development of 3D robot programming via an intuitive tablet interface. This interface enables users with no previous programming experience to quickly set up and operate the robots—even I was able to do it, as can be seen in本文. Østergaard also developed the robot’s force and safety control features, which ensure that if the robot collides with a person, the robot automatically stops operating and does not cause bodily harm, adhering to current safety requirements on force and torque limitations.
Though Universal Robots did not invent the world's first cobot, it is considered to be the company that developed the first "commercially viable" cobot. The company sold its first UR5 in December of 2008. Other cobots in development at that time were still predominantly research projects.
机器人工业协会主席杰夫·伯恩斯坦（Jeff Burnstein）表示：“他在协作机器人应用领域的（Østergaard）的工作使机器人能够在几乎每个行业中进入以前无法想象的领域。”“埃斯本·Østergaard强调与人并排工作并且易于使用的机器人，在许多从未考虑过机器人的中小型公司中引起了极大的兴趣。在一个越来越多地以人和机器人共同努力为特征的世界中，埃斯本的开创性技术进步发挥了关键作用。”
Since Universal Robots’ launch in 2008, the company has come to be seen by many as the market leader in collaborative robots. According to Universal Robots, it currently has 58 percent share of all cobots sold worldwide, and grew by 72 percent in 2017.
The award given to Østergaard is named for Joseph F. Engelberger, known as the “father of robotics.” Engelberger was founder and president of Unimation Inc., the world's first industrial robot manufacturer. Since 1977, the Engelberger Robotics awards have been presented by the RIA to individuals for excellence in technology development, application, education and leadership in the robotics industry and recognize outstanding individuals from all over the world.
