Munich pioneer of sensitive lightweight robotic arms, part of Agile Robots since 2023
Headquarters
München
Employee
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Models here
0
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Franka Emika was founded in Munich in 2016 and developed the Panda, one of the most influential research cobots of recent years. In September 2023, the company filed for insolvency; in November 2023, the German-Chinese company Agile Robots SE acquired the firm. Since then, it has been producing and further developing under the name Franka Robotics.
The current flagship is the Franka Research 3 (FR3), a 7-axis cobot with integrated force-torque measurement at all joints, manufactured in Germany. It is designed for research, education, and application development. From the same manufacturing facility in Kaufbeuren comes the Yu 5 Industrial, a robotic arm by Agile Robots for industrial applications.
Prior to insolvency, Franka Emika significantly shaped the research robot market: the Panda was in use at thousands of universities and laboratories worldwide. Under the Agile Robots umbrella, Franka Robotics is building on this strength in sensitive lightweight robotics, complemented by industrial products.
Franka Research 3 (FR3)
Cobot · Research & Education
Panda
Cobot · Classic · Discontinued
Founded in Munich.
Insolvency filing in September; acquisition by Agile Robots SE in November.
Production of the Franka Research 3 resumed at the Kaufbeuren facility.
One thousand Franka Research 3 units manufactured in Kaufbeuren.
There is no officially registered dedicated hardware distributor for Switzerland. Generation Robots, with European shipping, carries Franka products and supplies Swiss customers. Swiss software and engineering company ERNI is listed as an integration partner on the Franka website.