What’s new in Universal Robots’ Gen 7 cobots?

Universal Robots used IMTS 2026 in Chicago to launch its 7th-generation cobot family: a new PolyScopeX operating system, a redesigned controller and teach pendant, and upgraded safety rated for closer human-robot collaboration. The practical angle: cobots are bought by small manufacturers, not just car giants — easier programming means a 20-person machine shop can automate a loading task without hiring a robotics integrator. If you run a small shop, the question to ask vendors isn’t top speed, it’s changeover time: how fast the arm switches from one job to the next.