Trust in the Original

Why originality matters when choosing collaborative industrial robots

When you invest in automation, you’re not just buying performance for day one. You’re committing to technology that must remain safe, compliant, and reliable for years to come.

Original technology matters because it reduces hidden risk. It helps protect your operation from legal uncertainty, safety gaps, and unplanned disruption — risks that can surface long after a robot is installed.

At Universal Robots, originality is central to how we design, certify, and support collaborative robots. It is also why we take active steps to protect our innovation.

What distinguishes original technology?

Original collaborative robots are built on deep engineering foundations — not imitation. Over the full lifecycle, this translates into:

-Documented and certified safety functions
-Secure-by-design development practices
-Clear ownership of hardware and software IP
-Accountability when issues arise
-Fewer unplanned changes over time

When you trust in the original, we deliver peace of mind in the form of fewer interruptions, cleaner audits, and a smoother path to scale.

What risks should be surfaced before you decide on a robot supplier?

Many of the most important automation risks never appear in a product demo. The questions below are designed to surface them early — when choices can still be made with confidence.

Business continuity & operational stability
-What would unplanned downtime mean if a robot had to be removed or replaced?
-How do we evaluate supplier risk for technology expected to run for a decade or more?

Legal and IP exposure
-Have we assessed intellectual property and patent compliance as part of supplier due diligence?
-Could commercial use of this product expose us legally — now or later?

Safety on the factory floor
-Are safety functions certified, documented, and trustworthy?
-Can we demonstrate compliance during audits or in the event of an incident

Supplier credibility and accountability
-Is this supplier an original technology developer?
-What gives us confidence they will support this technology long term?

These questions will reduce the risk of future surprises.

A practical checklist for confident decisions.

We’ve created a concise, practical checklist that procurement, operations, and engineering teams can use when evaluating collaborative robot suppliers.

Download the practical checklist: Choosing a collaborative robot supplier.

The checklist helps teams assess:

-Business continuity and operational stability
-Legal and IP risk awareness
-Safety and regulatory compliance
-Supplier credibility and accountability

Before you commit
Before committing to an automation investment, ask yourself:

-Do we trust the supplier’s longevity and long-term support model?
-Have IP and legal risks been reviewed, not just price and performance?
-Would we feel confident defending this choice internally or externally?
-Does this decision protect both current operations and future expansion?

Buying original technology isn’t just about performance. It’s about safety, compliance, and protecting your operation from avoidable risk.

Our legal action — and why it matters to customers

Teradyne Robotics has recently initiated legal action in Europe against Chinese robot supplier Elite Robots to protect our intellectual property, innovation, and industrial resilience.

This action is about safeguarding the foundations that customers rely on when they deploy automation at scale.

Did you know?
-Using a product which infringes IP is against the law.
-If you use robots with infringing IP, you risk disrupting your own operations.
-Suppliers that do not own their technology may not be able to stand behind their products over the full lifecycle of a robot.
-Legal rulings can lead to forced changes, product removal, or supply interruptions that directly affect production.