The interface adds physical safety controls while keeping programming, commissioning, and operation on one familiar device.
ABB Robotics has introduced the E-Device, a safety interface that lets manufacturers use their own tablets and PCs to program, operate, and monitor robots and cobots powered by OmniCore controllers, Assembly Magazine reports.
The device uses the same OmniCore user interface across ABB’s robot and cobot portfolio. That common layout could make it easier for employees to move between different systems without learning a separate interface for each robot.
Engineers can create and simulate robot programs offline with ABB’s RobotStudio software. They can then take the same tablet or PC to the production line for deployment and commissioning. The E-Device also provides access to AppStudio, ABB’s no-code tool for creating application-specific interfaces.
In plants with multiple E-Device-equipped robots, one mobile device can move between systems. The interface includes a physical emergency-stop button and a three-position enabling switch for manual robot operation, addressing safety requirements that come with using a conventional tablet or PC to control industrial robots.
Assembly Magazine reports that ABB says the E-Device complies with the ISO 10218:2025 industrial robot safety standard and is CE and UL certified.
ABB says the approach can reduce training, engineering, and commissioning time while speeding production ramp-up. The company provided no specific time or cost savings, so plant managers still need measured deployment results before estimating payback. Availability, pricing, supported robot models, and customer deployment details will also matter when evaluating the interface for a plant.