
Rethink Robotics Closes Its Doors - pjbk
https://www.therobotreport.com/rethink-robotics-closes-its-doors
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jpm_sd
Anyone working with cobots in your factory interested to comment? What's the
main competitive advantage that made Universal[1] so successful while Rethink
withered away?

[1] [https://www.universal-robots.com/](https://www.universal-robots.com/)

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TomTomXC
Robots are a component of an automation solution. Most solutions will be
heavily customized in ways that are specific to the individual customer - who
would usually interact with an integrator and not a robot supplier. The
integrators, usually small companies with less than 10 employees buy most of
the robots on the market. So as a robotics company you have to primarily focus
on the integrators and offer a no-bullshit component to them. Extra fluff like
the camera and touchscreen will be useless in 95% of cases. Why would i want
to pay for that as an integrator? Additionally, rumor has it the production
was too expensive. Maybe due to the fluff. When you're pushing robots on the
market below your own cost while the competitor beats you price wise while
making a profit - you're going to have a bad time. The initial aim to provide
a robot with nylon bearings and series-elastic actuators wasn't a success, the
pivot to the standard industry approach of harmonic drive didn't save them as
there was no price/performance advantage over the competition. I believe quite
a few people in the industry saw the Rethink robot like toys that weren't
meant serious. I don't know about the actual performance, but the image was
there. As an industrial customer you want bulletproof and dirt cheap and not
fun to play with.

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jpm_sd
Thanks, that's very informative.

