A female statistician and a male inventor have won the 2018 Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Awards, considered the world’s most prestigious honour in robotics.

Esben H. Østergaard, the Chief Technology Officer and Cofounder at Universal Robots, won the Award for Technology for his ground-breaking work with collaborative robots.

And Gudrun Litzenberger is General Secretary of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) took home the Award for Leadership.

Named after Joseph F. Engelberger, known worldwide as the founding force behind industrial robotics, the awards are presented to individuals for excellence in technology development, application, education, and leadership in the robotics industry.

The winners receive a US$5,000 honorarium and commemorative medallion with the inscription: "Contributing to the advancement of the science of robotics in the service of mankind."

Since the award’s inception in 1977, it has been bestowed upon 126 robotics leaders from 17 different nations.

Reinvention of the industrial robot

Esben H. Østergaard is one of the inventors behind the UR cobots, and is responsible for the enhancement of existing UR cobots and the development of new products.

During his years as researcher and assistant professor in robotics and user interfaces at University of Southern Denmark, he created the foundation for a reinvention of the industrial robot.

In 2005, he founded Universal Robots with two of his research colleagues. Mr Østergaard is also involved in national research projects and is an external examiner at several universities in Denmark.

"Esben Østergaard's work in the field of collaborative robot applications has allowed robots to enter previously unthinkable sectors in just about every industry," said Jeff Burnstein, President of the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), which oversees the awards.

"His emphasis on robots that work side by side with people has created enormous interest among many small and medium sized companies who never even considered robots before.

“In a world that is increasingly characterized by people and robots working together, Esben’s pioneering technology advances play a pivotal role."

Tireless advocate for the robotics industry

Gudrun Litzenberger was appointed General Secretary of the IFR in 2008. The IFR connects the world of robotics around the globe and now represents over 50 members from more than 20 countries.

"Gudrun Litzenberger has spent much of her career helping our industry better understand the size and scope of the global robotics market," said Mr Burnstein.

"Her work has established the IFR as the leading source of global robotics statistics during an era when the interest in robotics is growing exponentially. Furthermore, Gudrun has been a tireless advocate for our industry throughout the world." 

The awards will be presented at a ceremony in Munich on June 20 as part of the International Symposium on Robotics.