Universal Robots UR5
It works beside humans without a safety cage — and started the cobot revolution.
In one sentence
UR5 is a robotic arm that works safely next to people — no cage, no PhD needed to programme it, just teach it by moving its joints.
The wow factor
Three things that make Universal Robots UR5 genuinely impressive.
Started the entire cobot category — collaborative robot.
Three PhD students in Odense, Denmark, founded Universal Robots in 2005.
Teradyne paid $285 million for UR in 2015 — a bargain in hindsight.
How it works
A step-by-step breakdown, in plain English.
- 1Joint torque sensors detect any unexpected force (like a human bump).
- 2On contact, UR5 stops in <100 ms — preventing injury.
- 3Drag-and-teach: physically move the arm to record positions.
- 4A pendant lets non-engineers programme it in minutes.
- 5Mounts on tables, walls, ceilings, or AGVs — flexible deployment.
Where you've probably seen it
Featured in Universal Robots' annual ROI campaigns and dozens of factory documentaries. The "human and cobot collaborate" image is now a cliché in automation marketing.
The team behind it
Founded in 2005 in Odense, Denmark by three PhD students: Esben Østergaard, Kasper Støy, and Kristian Kassow. Acquired by Teradyne in 2015.
The full story
Universal Robots launched the UR5 in 2009 — the world's first commercially successful collaborative robot (cobot). Unlike traditional industrial robots, the UR5 was designed to work safely alongside humans without cages: its force-sensing motors automatically stop on contact. Lightweight (18.4 kg), with a 5 kg payload and 850 mm reach, the UR5 made robotic automation accessible to small and medium-sized factories. Universal Robots has sold over 75,000 cobots worldwide and was acquired by US firm Teradyne in 2015 for $285 million.
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Family tree
The predecessors and successors of Universal Robots UR5.
- UR5(2009)
- UR10(2012)
- UR3(2015)
- UR16e(2019)
- UR20(2022)
Universal Robots UR5 in 2 minutes
Learn the science behind Universal Robots UR5
Three Atlas entries that explain how Universal Robots UR5 actually works.
Mind-blowing facts
Universal Robots was founded by three PhD students in Odense, Denmark in 2005.
UR cobots are so easy to program that factory workers with no engineering training can deploy them.
Teradyne paid $285 million for Universal Robots in 2015.