Universal Robots is a Danish collaborative-robot (cobot) manufacturer headquartered in Odense, Denmark, founded in 2005 and acquired by Teradyne in 2015 for USD 285 million. With more than 100,000 cobots sold and a 40–50% share of the global cobot market, Universal Robots is the category's market leader. Unlike most industrial-robot vendors, Universal Robots ships an open, well-documented developer surface — RTDE, Dashboard Server, Primary/Secondary Client Interface, XML-RPC, URScript, the URCap SDK (PolyScope 5), and the PolyScope X URCap SDK — backed by official C++, Python, and ROS / ROS 2 client libraries on GitHub.
URL: Visit APIs.json
Run: Capabilities Using Naftiko
- Robotics, Collaborative Robots, Cobots, Industrial Automation, Manufacturing, PolyScope, PolyScopeX, URCaps, URScript, RTDE, ROS, ROS 2, Teradyne, Danish, Hardware
- Created: 2026-05-25
- Modified: 2026-05-25
| Generation | Model | Payload | Reach |
|---|---|---|---|
| e-Series | UR3e | 3 kg | 500 mm |
| e-Series | UR7e | 7.5 kg | 850 mm |
| e-Series | UR12e | 12.5 kg | 1300 mm |
| e-Series | UR16e | 16 kg | 900 mm |
| UR Series | UR8 Long | 10 kg | 1750 mm |
| UR Series | UR15 | 17.5 kg | 1300 mm |
| UR Series | UR18 | 18 kg | 950 mm |
| UR Series | UR20 | 25 kg | 1750 mm |
| UR Series | UR30 | 35 kg | 1300 mm |
Universal Robots does not publish an HTTP/REST API or OpenAPI specification. Programmatic access is exclusively via documented TCP socket protocols and SDKs.
Synchronous binary TCP protocol on port 30004 streaming robot state at the controller cycle (500 Hz on e-Series, 125 Hz on CB3) and accepting writeable inputs. Canonical integration point for vision, force/torque, OEE telemetry, and ROS / ROS 2 drivers.
- Documentation
- RTDE Guide
- SDK — RTDE Python Client Library
- SDK — C++ Client Library
- SDK — RTDE ROS 2 Publisher
Plain-text TCP command interface on port 29999 for power, program load/play, safety state, and installation management. The easiest remote-control entry point for shop-floor MES integration.
Streaming binary interfaces on ports 30001 (Primary, 10 Hz, includes configuration) and 30002 (Secondary, 10 Hz). The Secondary interface is the recommended channel for sending URScript at runtime.
Binary state interface on port 30003 emitting robot state at the controller cycle. Predates RTDE; new integrations should prefer RTDE.
URScript's xmlrpc_factory primitive lets a robot program call out to any user-hosted XML-RPC server mid-execution. Canonical pattern for delegating vision, business logic, or database lookups from a robot program to an off-board service.
Universal Robots' purpose-built scripting language for cobot motion, I/O, and process control. Authored in PolyScope, streamed over the Secondary Client Interface, or generated by ROS 2 driver and MoveIt.
Java-based extension framework that powers Universal Robots' UR+ ecosystem of certified third-party integrations. URCaps add program nodes, installation screens, daemons, and driver contributions (grippers, screwdrivers, vision).
TypeScript/HTML extension framework for PolyScope X, the next-generation teach-pendant OS that ships on UR15/UR20/UR30 and newer cobots. PolyScope X URCaps are Docker-containerised for sandboxing and replace the legacy Java URCap model.
Universal Robots maintains an unusually broad open-source presence at github.com/UniversalRobots:
- Universal_Robots_Client_Library — C++ library exposing RTDE, Dashboard, Primary/Secondary, and motion streaming
- Universal_Robots_ROS2_Driver — ROS 2 driver (CB3 and e-Series)
- Universal_Robots_ROS_Driver — ROS 1 driver (CB3 and e-Series)
- RTDE_Python_Client_Library — RTDE Python client and examples
- Universal_Robots_ROS2_Description — URDF descriptions for ROS 2
- Universal_Robots_ROS2_Gazebo_Simulation — Gazebo simulation
- Universal_Robots_Isaac_Driver — NVIDIA Isaac SDK driver
- Universal_Robots_ExternalControl_URCap — PolyScope 5 URCap for ROS / ROS 2 drivers
- Universal_Robots_ExternalControl_URCapX — PolyScope X URCap for ROS / ROS 2 drivers
- PolyScopeX_URCap_SDK — PolyScope X URCap SDK
- URCap-Samples — URCap sample projects
- URScript_Examples — URScript examples and snippets
- ModbusExamples — Modbus communication examples
- Universal_Robots_ROS_as_a_Service_URCap — rosbridge-backed ROS access from inside PolyScope
- Website
- Developer Suite
- Documentation
- GitHub
- Forum
- UR+ Marketplace
- Academy
- Partner Portal
- Support
- Downloads
- About
- Newsroom
- Careers
- Contact
- Parent — Teradyne
- Sibling — Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR)
- YouTube
Kin Lane — kin@apievangelist.com