Kuka day!! After seeing the Kuka robots work in the production line at BMW, I was very excited to see the production of the robots themselves. We took the streetcars all the way to the Kuka Factory/Headquarters. It was a very smooth ride and took us right to our destination.
We got checked in, and were escorted to a presentation area. Just at first glance, the facility was extremely modern and clean. The first presentation introduced us to some of the technology they use; there was a wall-length AI screen that we were able to directly ask questions. My favorite part of this presentation was the robot performance. It’s hard to describe in words, but two robots were holding screens and had some sort of interconnection; they put on a performance with a dancer on the screens to express the concept of creativity that KUKA encourages. I was entranced by this, it felt like a concert! After this, we got another presentation that gave more insight to the customer relations aspect of KUKA, which I was super curious to hear about. We learned about their relations with Tesla and some of the requests from buyers.
After this, we got free coffee (very professional ) from the cafe. Next, it was time for the factory tour. Similarly to the BMW tour, we got ear pieces and were following a very knowledgeable tour guide. I was surprised to see how many humans were working on the production line, the robots are even hand painted! Kuka robots are produced on a more per-order basis because each customer has specific requests whether it be function, size, or color. There was a designated space for parts that need to be repaired and although KUKA has hundreds of thousands of robots in production throughout the world, the space for damaged parts was very minimal. This just goes to show that KUKA robots are handcrafted and very carefully worked on to ensure that the user does not face issues.
We also saw KUKA College, which had some classrooms where students will spend their first year. After this, they are primarily working hands on with individual robots to give them the best learning experience possible. We ended the day on a positive note, all hanging out together and exploring more of Augsburg. I am really looking forward to Neuschwanstein Castle tomorrow!
