Robots always have seemed like something far off in the future, but advances in automation technology have put automation and robotics within reach of nearly any business.

The pace at which that technology is changing has made automation at scale a much more affordable proposition and much for a user to get under their fingertips as well.

“Five years ago, you had to be a master programmer to get a robot to run or just to configure it, where nowadays we have pop-ups and easy to use software that allows you to configure it in minutes instead of hours,” Michael Breen (embed contributor page), KUKA’s Technical Sales Support Manager, said during a roundtable with four other experts from the company. “When you do that it allows you to target an audience that’s much smaller, your mom-and-pop shops and smaller-scale businesses.”

Even if the learning curve with a particular product is a bit steep, KUKA backs its solutions with many education options. Perhaps most critical is the on-site KUKA College, an adult education program designed to help users learn exactly what they can do with their machine.

“It’s very important they not only spend time in the classroom absorbing the information, but having time on the robot is so important. They need to get on that robot and implement what they’ve just learned to really solidify it,” said Alexis Trumper (embed contributor page), who is the Training Manager. “This is a model of adult learning that’s been proven and taught in many other aspects in the world. We like to make sure people know we’re using the model and then have the confidence they’re getting a really great product when they come over and take classes with us.”

Robots may seem futuristic, but with KUKA’s tools and resources, it’s clear the future is now.