ABB Robotics Unveils PoWa Cobot Series for Industrial Automation

ABB Robotics' new PoWa collaborative robot family comprises six models with payload capacities ranging from 7 to 30 kg. | Source: ABB Robotics

ABB Robotics has unveiled its new PoWa family of collaborative robots (cobots) this week. The company states these cobots offer higher payload capacities and overall performance compared to its previous models.

ABB projects the global cobot market will grow at an annual rate of 20% through 2028. The new PoWa family aims to bridge a significant market gap between traditional cobots and industrial robots. According to ABB, conventional cobots often fall short in speed and payload for demanding industrial tasks, while standard industrial robots are typically designed for specialized, large-scale automation environments.

“Cobot adoption is significantly outpacing that of traditional industrial robots, driven by demand from small and midsized businesses beginning their automation journey, as well as large enterprises,” said Andrea Cassoni, Head of Collaborative Robots at ABB Robotics. “These customers seek not only higher speeds and payloads but also greater ease of use and compact designs. Established manufacturers aim to automate heavier, fast-cycle applications without the complexity and inflexibility of traditional industrial robots. We are addressing these needs with the global launch of our high-speed PoWa cobot family—a name that reflects its powerful, industrial-grade performance packaged in a compact collaborative form.”

ABB Robotics ranks among the world's leading robot manufacturers. Its portfolio includes industrial robots, cobots, and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) serving various sectors such as automotive, electronics, and logistics.

In October 2025, ABB Group announced plans to sell its robotics division to SoftBank Group for $5.3 billion. ABB Robotics employs approximately 7,000 people, with its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing facility located in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

ABB designed PoWa for high performance in compact spaces

The PoWa series expands ABB Robotics' cobot lineup with industrial-grade capabilities, featuring six payload categories from 7 kg (15.4 lbs) to 30 kg (66.1 lbs) and achieving top speeds of up to 5.8 m/s (13 mph).

The family was specifically engineered for compact workspaces. ABB states the line is ideally suited for applications like high-speed machine tending, palletizing, screwdriving, and arc welding. PoWa allows manufacturers to automate heavier and faster processes while retaining the flexibility, user-friendliness, and small footprint inherent to collaborative robotics.

According to ABB, the new cobots are easy to operate via programmable buttons on the arm-side interface and no-code programming, and they are compatible with a wide ecosystem of third-party accessories. A PoWa unit can be unboxed and operational within an hour, offering plug-and-play functionality with various tools. The company emphasizes that this cobot family combines industrial-grade connectivity and performance with the flexibility of collaborative robots.

Powered by the ABB OmniCore controller platform, the new PoWa cobots deliver top-tier motion control, speed, and precision. They can be integrated with ABB Robotics' growing suite of AI-powered software, including RobotStudio and Wizard Easy Programming, enabling intuitive programming, rapid deployment, and maximum operational uptime.

Last month, ABB announced the integration of NVIDIA Omniverse libraries into RobotStudio to enhance robot simulation and simplify real-world deployment. This capability will be released as the subscription-based RobotStudio HyperReality in the second half of 2026.