As collaborative robots proliferate across factories and warehouses, demand is surging for end-effector peripherals tailored to their compact, flexible operations. Addressing this need, pneumatic and electrical automation leader SMC has rolled out its new LEHR series of electric grippers optimized for universal use with Universal Robots' signature cobot arms.

The plug-and-play LEHR grippers span basic and longitudinal variants catering to different payloads and workspace constraints. With gripping forces ranging from 60-140N, the IP20 dust-protected units promise resilience against shocks, vibrations and harsher industrial environments. Their rounded protective covers enhance safety for human-robot collaboration.

But the key hallmark lies in the grippers' seamless software integration with UR's cobot control platform. Using URCaps - UR's native accessory software - operators can intuitively map the grippers' movements, gripper status monitoring and incorporating smart sensor signals via the teach pendant interface. This drastically simplifies deployment and programming compared to traditional robotics where accessory integration remains an engineering challenge.

SMC will spotlight the LEHR series during its exhibition at the upcoming Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston from May 1-2. The flagship expo unites over 5000 commercial robotics professionals alongside 200+ exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge technologies primed to redefine automation across factories, logistics, healthcare and services over this decade.

As a leading UR cobot peripheral supplier, SMC aims to drive greater robotic dexterity and intelligence by developing smarter, tighter component symbiosis - spanning both pneumatic and electrical actuation realms. This ethos aligns with UR's own innovation roadmap spearheaded by incoming Teradyne Robotics president Ujjwal Kumar, a robotics industry veteran slated as a Summit keynote speaker.

With human-robot collaborations poised for rapid growth, solutions like the LEHR that democratize deployment while minimizing integration overheads could emerge as catalysts. As robots transcend pure automation to become intelligent problem-solving aids, seamless human-machine synergies enabled by composable hardware-software architectures will prove indispensable.