drag&bot

A graphical operating system for industrial robots

drag&bot is operating software for industrial robots, aimed at manufacturers that produce small batches with many variants and have no robot programmer on staff. The company says its software lets factory staff set up and change robot programs without learning text-based code. Users set parameters through graphical wizards and follow guided sequences, with prebuilt templates for common programs. Its user interface is built for workers rather than specialists, which the company says is why it can be used on the shop floor.

Integration of grippers, cameras and safety equipment

Plug-and-play integration covers grippers, cameras, feeders, force-torque sensors and integrated safety functions. A large set of interfaces lets a customer choose the right components for each application, and a single software layer runs across different robot hardware, so the user is not tied to one integrator's closed cell. The company describes its robot cells as flexible, in contrast to single-purpose solutions.

Worker Cockpit and in-house know-how

The Worker Cockpit lets employees operate and retool robots themselves, which the company says keeps know-how inside the business. It says staff can learn to run industrial robots after a short period of training and build new tasks as robot operators. The company claims that programs can be built five times faster than with text-based robot programming, and that engineering costs fall by around half.

Ownership and current development

drag&bot is now part of KEBA, which acquired drag&bot GmbH in December 2021 and now runs the product inside its Kemro X platform for automation. The company says KEBA is developing a new and more deeply integrated successor based on open standards. Live online demonstrations are offered to firms that want to see the system before they decide.

The company's website puts the aim as operating industrial robots about as easily as a smartphone, with less complexity in configuring and reprogramming them.

drag&bot is graphical operating software for industrial robots, built so that factory staff can set up and reprogram robots without specialist coding. KEBA bought drag&bot GmbH in December 2021 and folded the software into its Kemro X automation platform, and KEBA is now working on a more deeply integrated successor.

What drag&bot does

• Graphical robot programming: wizards for setting parameters, step-by-step guides and ready-made program templates.
• Plug-and-play hardware integration: interfaces for grippers, cameras, feeders, force-torque sensors and safety equipment.
• Worker Cockpit: lets production staff operate and retool robots themselves.
• Hardware independence: one software layer across different robot hardware, so users choose their own components.
• Online demonstrations: live demos for firms evaluating the system.

Customers and markets

It targets manufacturers producing small lots with many variants, especially those without an in-house robot programmer. It is pitched at managing directors, production managers and shop-floor workers who want flexible robot cells rather than single-purpose installations.

Key facts

• Owner: KEBA, since December 2021
• Platform: Kemro X
• Claimed speed: programs built 5x faster than text-based robot programming