Universal Robots UR5 (original) price & specs

Universal Robots (Denmark) Universal Robots UR5 (original) (1)

Was ~$22,500 (€20,000, 2012)

Discontinued · used/leftover onlyPython from a laptopFirst commercial cobotCB-seriesHistoric

Possibly ≤ 1 weekShipping: Used market.

Remote control: URScript over a TCP socket, or RTDE/ROS drivers on CB3-series units running recent software.

Overview

Universal Robots' first product and what Wikipedia calls the first commercially viable cobot, sold in Denmark and Germany from 2008. It proved that a light, fenceless six-axis arm could be programmed by non-specialists, set the template copied by many later cobots, and led to Teradyne buying the company in 2015. The CB-series was replaced by the e-Series from 2018.

Type: Robot arm · Industrial & legacy
Maker: Universal Robots (Denmark)
Released: 2008
Price: Was ~$22,500 (€20,000, 2012)
Status: Discontinued · used/leftover only
Best for: Professionals & labs
Programming: Full SDK

Price and shipping

IEEE Spectrum listed the UR5 at ~$22,500 (€20,000) in 2012 and $35,000 in 2017.

Shipping: Used market. Discontinued. Used and refurbished CB3 UR5 arms are widely resold by dealers in used robots.

Specifications

Category	Robot arms · Industrial & legacy
Released	2008
Country	Denmark
Availability	Discontinued · used/leftover only
Sales	Over 27,000 cobots sold company-wide by December 2018 (estimate) Universal Robots ↗
Programmability	Full SDK
Built-in autonomy	None / scripted · Moves only when controlled, or plays preset motions
LLM support	Possible via SDK · No built-in LLM. Its SDK lets software on a computer control it.
MuJoCo simulation	Maker URDF only · UR description packages include the UR5, Menagerie has only the UR5e. ros-industrial universal_robot ↗
NVIDIA Isaac simulation	Official model · In Isaac Sim's robot asset library (UniversalRobots ur5). Isaac Sim manipulator assets ↗
Gazebo simulation	Official model · ROS-Industrial universal_robot includes ur_gazebo with UR5 support. ros-industrial universal_robot ↗
Best for	Professionals & labs
Vision sensors	No vision sensors
Actuators	Brushless / direct-drive motors
Audio	No audio
Compute type	Proprietary / undisclosed
Remote control	Python from a laptop
DOF	6
Reach	850 mm
Payload	5 kg
Repeatability	±0.1 mm (CB3, ISO 9283)
Weight	18.4 kg
Controller	CB-series control box with PolyScope teach pendant
Sensors	Joint encoders, current-based force limiting
SDK	URScript over sockets, RTDE on later CB3 software, ROS drivers

Common questions

How much does Universal Robots UR5 cost?

It sold for ~$22,500 (€20,000, 2012). IEEE Spectrum listed the UR5 at ~$22,500 (€20,000) in 2012 and $35,000 in 2017.

Can Universal Robots UR5 be bought today?

It is discontinued, though used or leftover units still turn up. Discontinued. Used and refurbished CB3 UR5 arms are widely resold by dealers in used robots.