Julian Ware, UK & Ireland Sales Manager for ABB Robotics UK, explains how ABB’s ‘Autonomous Versatile Robotics’ (AVR) concept is enabling the move from fixed operating procedures and coding to a new world of truly autonomous operation.
For decades, industrial robots have been the workhorses of manufacturing, offering fast, precise, and reliable performance in an expanding range of applications. Yet, they have also been fundamentally constrained, typically being fixed in place, programmed for defined routines, and optimised to handle known parts in known locations.
Now, a significant shift is underway. ABB’s AVR approach reflects the next phase in the industry’s move toward more flexible automation – systems that can be rapidly reconfigured, interpret their environment through advanced sensing, and switch between tasks with minimal reprogramming. This evolution could help unlock automation’s potential for the high-variation, low-volume processes that characterise much of UK manufacturing.
Read the full article in DPA's March 2026 issue