Agile Planet, Rockwell Automation, and Yaskawa Motoman Announce Availability of RLX PLC Unified Robot Motion Control

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Agile Planet, Inc., developer of intelligent robotics software, has made available the RLX^TM software suite for robotic control and motion planning on Programmable Logic and Automation Controllers (PLC/PAC). RLX is the only solution that enables PLCs and PACs to become full featured robot application development, simulation, and control environments for all robot types – no matter the complexity.

RLX drives value across the entire robot life cycle – from customer engagement, concept development, factory acceptance test, operations, and robot re-utilization. RLX provides the application development, training, and maintenance tools required to rapidly develop complex robotic applications and then deploy them on widely adopted architectures. The result is a cost efficient, timely, and agile deployment of robots in highly integrated applications. Robot Vendors, OEMs, and End Users all derive significant value.

Yaskawa Motoman Robotics and Rockwell Automation have teamed together with Agile Planet to utilize RLX benefits. Today, the MLX100 robot gateway from Motoman enables full control of multiple 4-axes to 7-axes robot arms on the ControlLogix platform from Rockwell Automation with all application programming and peripheral integration done in RSLogix 5000.

“We are excited to provide our customers with robot control choices that meet rapidly changing market demands,” said Steve Barhorst, President of Motoman North America. “Our MLX100 robot gateway aligns perfectly with our world class robot lineup, resulting in a compelling value proposition for our customers.”

“Rockwell Automation has always focused on providing integrated control solutions that drive significant lifecycle cost savings to end users,” said Dr. Sujeet Chand, CTO of Rockwell Automation. “Enabling companies, like Agile Planet, to leverage the Integrated Architecture platform for innovative solutions like integrated robotic control provides our joint customers high value on standard hardware and software.”

“Our R&D has focused on reducing robot integration and lifecycle costs by increasing the motion intelligence of industrial robotics,” said Dr. Chetan Kapoor, CEO of Agile Planet. “We realized long ago that sophisticated motion intelligence wasn't the complete answer. This intelligence needed to be available in industry standard control platforms that have the support and infrastructure needed for viable commercial use. RLX does just that.”

About Agile Planet

Agile Planet is a thought leader in intelligent robotics and develops robotics software products around its core Kinematix™ robot motion planning technology. Agile Planet’s products result in the expanded use of robots to solve critical real-world problems for manufacturing, life sciences, and defense applications. Agile Planet partners with industry leading robot and control vendors and OEMs to implement a solution on widely adopted architectures that results in cost effective, reliable, and agile deployments of robots. For more information, visit www.agileplanet.com.

About Motoman Robotics

Founded in 1989, the Motoman Robotics Division of Yaskawa America, Inc. has grown to become the second largest robotics company in the Americas with an installed base of over 30,000 units. Its products include robotic automation solutions for virtually every industry and robotic application, including arc welding, assembly, coating, dispensing, material handling, material cutting, material removal and spot welding operations. For more information, please visit our website at www.motoman.com.