Universal Robots Launches First Collaborative Robot Certifications for Education

Universal Robots becomes the first collaborative robot manufacturer to develop an educational offering that provides an Industry-recognized certificate. This enables the cobot leader to provide a comprehensive collaborative robot curriculum for students that now launches as part of the Universal Robots Program for Education. The new education offering will be showcased at the virtual Cobot Expo 2.0 November 16-17.

As collaborative robots emerge as the fastest growing segment of industrial automation, cobot curriculum developed by an industrial leader is increasingly sought after in schools and manufacturing industries. “With the Education Program we’re addressing a tremendous need to provide cobot training as part of an integrated course,” says Joe Campbell, senior manager of applications development at Universal Robots (UR). “This hands-on learning initiative will be instrumental in addressing the skills gap and get state-of-the art cobots into classrooms, offering students instant employability and manufacturers access to an upskilled workforce.”

The Education Program provides a clearly defined pathway for students to master cobot programming and deployment as part of an Industry 4.0 career in robotics and advanced manufacturing. Schools can now purchase the ready-to-go package that includes the complete curriculum, a UR cobot arm, and the hardware and software required to build actual industrial applications.

Accelerates student access to cobots

The 32-hour course has been developed with assistance from Ritch Ramey, coordinator of RAMTEC, (The Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing Technology Education Collaborative) overseeing robotics training at the 24 Tri-Rivers career centers in Ohio, representing the largest, most comprehensive robotics education center in the nation. “Being able to offer a complete, turnkey training program with an industry-recognized credential gives schools increased access to both private grants and government funding when bringing cobots into classrooms,” he says. “It will make all the difference in the acceleration of student access to a real industrial robot that is both safe to operate in a classroom and easy to use.”

Upon completion of the course work, a student receives 32 course credit hours and a Universal Robots industry-recognized certification. The course can be taught in high schools, dual-enrollment courses, and in colleges.

Showcased at Universal Robots’ Cobot Expo 2.0

Attendees at Universal Robots’ virtual Cobot Expo 2.0 November 16-17 will be the first to see the new Program for Education showcased. Building on the successful first Cobot Expo in July, the 2.0 version features floorplans organized by the most popular application segments, featuring 19 exhibiting partners, live “on demand” demos, and 15 keynote presentations. The Educational Program is featured in a dedicated booth and will be presented in the keynote “Accelerating Tomorrow’s Engineers.”

In addition to the formalized core curriculum, the Universal Robots Program for Education Package consists of:

• UR Cobot Unit (UR3e or UR5e)
• 24 course licenses
• Gripper Demo Kit
• UR Academy Hardware Set:
• One conveyor assembly including conveyor, encoder, two sensors and I/O simulation test box
• Ten 3D printed training elements for exercises
• One 3D printed dual TCP
• Six 3D printed workpieces

For institutions that already have cobots, a retro package is available with course curricula, classroom support hardware and software.

About the IACET Accreditation:In the world of continuing education and training (CE/T), IACET stands for “best in class.” To receive IACET accreditation, the recipient demonstrates commitment to CE/T excellence in a review process involving extensive hands-on evaluation and verification with policies and processes thoroughly benchmarked against the ANSI/IACET Standard for CE/T. The accreditation confirms that recipient has engaged the expertise of instructional design professionals nationwide to make its continuing education and training the best it can be.