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Co-Founder of Universal Robots Wins Award

Esben Østergaard is honored with the prestigious Engelberger Robotics Award.

Posted: June 8, 2018

Esben Østergaard’s emphasis on robots that work side-by-side with people and are easy to use has created enormous interest among many small and medium sized companies who never even considered robots before. In a world that is increasingly characterized by people and robots working together, his pioneering technology advances play a pivotal role.

The award is named for Joseph F. Engelberger, known throughout the world 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 to individuals for excellence in technology development, application, education and leadership in the robotics industry and recognize outstanding individuals from all over the world.

The Robotic Industries Association (RIA; Ann Arbor, MI) announced Esben Østergaard, the co-founder and chief technology officer of Universal Robots A/S (UR; Odense, Denmark) as the recipient of the Engelberger Robotics Award. He spearheads the development of collaborative robot arms as representing one of the most significant technology breakthroughs coming out of the robotics community in decades.

“His work in the field of collaborative robot applications has allowed robots to enter previously unthinkable sectors in just about every industry,” said Jeff Burnstein, the president of RIA, noting that Østergaard is a visionary in defining a new category of robotics. “His emphasis on robots that work side-by-side with people and are easy to use has created enormous interest among many small and medium sized companies who never even considered robots before. In a world that is increasingly characterized by people and robots working together, Esben’s pioneering technology advances play a pivotal role.”

“I’m deeply honored to win the award named after Joseph Engelberger, who revolutionized industrial manufacturing with robotics,” stated Østergaard. “Engelberger’s view that a robot should be able to handle a range of tasks in a factory aligns with our company’s core mission, and I’m a great admirer of his work.”

www.universal-robots.com