Universal Robots was recognized for its contributions to the advancement of robot technology and robot safety.

Universal Robots, a global collaborative robot company, announced on the 7th that Roberta Nelson Shea, Global Technical Compliance Officer, was selected as a recipient of the Engelberger Robotics Award, the world's most prestigious robotics award known as the Nobel Prize of robotics, at the Automate Show awards ceremony held in Detroit, USA.

With this, a key executive of Universal Robots has won the award again for the first time in five years, following co-founder Esben Østergaard, who won the Engelberger Award in the technology category in 2018.

Roberta Nelson Shear, Global Technical Compliance Officer at Universal Robots, was honored with the 'Applications' award, which is given to individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to the development and practical application of robot technology, in recognition of her contributions to robot safety worldwide.

Roberta said, “It is a great honor to be selected as a recipient of the Engelberger Robotics Award,” adding, “This award is not only for individual achievements “I believe this is recognition of Universal Robots and Teradyne’s commitment to safety, and I will share this joy with everyone who has contributed to safety in the robotics community,” he said.

He added, “When I first entered this field about 40 years ago, I felt that safety was merely a personal mission, but as collaborative robots became widely used, the entire industry came to recognize the importance of safety together.”

Meanwhile, Roberta is one of several female Engelberger laureates produced in recent years. According to a Universal Robots official, diversity in the robotics field has steadily improved since Roberta entered the industry in 1982.

"However, the reality is that women are still a minority in the robotics industry," Roberta said, expressing her expectations. "I hope this award inspires young women to believe that they can play a key role in the advancement of robotics and technology in general."

Kim Povlsen, President of Universal Robots, emphasized, “This Engelberger Award demonstrates the significant contribution Roberta has made to robotics, particularly in the area of safety, which is a top priority for collaborative robots. Universal Robots will continue to establish standards for human-robot interaction to ensure the safe use of collaborative robots in the field, as well as support the foundation for the collaborative relationships between humans and robots taking place in thousands of workplaces.”