KUKA industrial robots

What it is

KUKA builds industrial robots and automation systems in Augsburg, Bavaria, where it was founded in 1898. In 1973 it introduced FAMULUS, described as the first industrial robot with six electromechanically driven axes. Since then KUKA has developed a broad range of articulated robots, from small units to heavy-duty machines, as well as lightweight collaborative robots designed to work alongside people. The company has been owned by the Chinese appliance group Midea since 2017, which completed a full takeover in 2022.

How it works

An articulated industrial robot is an arm with several rotary joints, each driven by an electric motor. Six axes allow the tool at the end of the arm to reach any point in its working space at any angle, much like a human arm and wrist. A controller coordinates the motors to follow programmed paths precisely and repeatedly. Grippers, welding torches, spindles or other tools are attached to the end of the arm, and sensors and vision systems allow the robot to react to its environment.

Why it stands out

Electric drives on all six axes replaced earlier hydraulic designs and set the pattern for most industrial robots today. KUKA's orange robot arms became a symbol of automated car production, especially for welding car bodies. The company has also expanded into logistics, healthcare and other industries. Its sale to Midea became a reference point in the German debate on foreign takeovers of strategic technology companies.

Where you meet it

KUKA robots work on car body assembly lines, in electronics and metal processing, in warehouses and in food handling. They also appear in less obvious places, such as film camera rigs and amusement park rides, where robot arms carry passengers through choreographed movements.