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| Techman Robot | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Full name | Techman Robot Inc. |
| Chinese name | 達明機器人 |
| Founded | 2012 (as Quanta Storage robotics division); 2015 (as independent subsidiary) |
| Parent company | Quanta Computer |
| Headquarters | Taoyuan, Taiwan |
| Industry | Robotics, Collaborative robots |
| Key people | Shi-Chi Ho (Chairman) |
| Products | TM Robot cobot series, TM Operator, TM Smart Factory, TM Xplore 1 |
| Employees | 400+ (as of 2021) |
| Market share | ~10% of global cobot market (2021); second-largest cobot brand globally |
| Stock exchange | Taipei Exchange (TPEx), listed September 2025 |
| Website | tm-robot.com |
Techman Robot (Techman Robot Inc.) is a Taiwanese collaborative robot (cobot) manufacturer and subsidiary of Quanta Computer, one of the world's largest notebook computer original design manufacturers. Founded as a robotics research division within Quanta Storage Inc. in 2012 and established as an independent subsidiary in 2015, Techman is the creator of the TM Robot series, the world's first collaborative robot with a fully integrated built-in vision system.[1][2]
Techman has grown to become the second-largest collaborative robot brand in the world, holding approximately 10% of the global cobot market as of 2021, behind only the Danish pioneer Universal Robots (~50% market share). The company formed a strategic alliance with the Japanese automation giant OMRON in 2018, which invested in a 10% stake in Techman in 2021. Techman's cobots are sold in over 30 countries through a global distribution network that includes both direct channels and the OMRON partnership.[1][2][3]
In 2025, Techman completed its initial public offering on the Taipei Exchange (TPEx) and unveiled its first humanoid robot prototype, the TM Xplore 1, signaling the company's expansion from collaborative arms into humanoid robotics.[4][5]
The origins of Techman Robot trace to 2012, when a robotics laboratory was established as a new business division within Quanta Storage Inc., itself a subsidiary of Quanta Computer. In this laboratory, engineers developed the company's first SCARA robot and dual-arm SCARA prototypes, building foundational expertise in robot arm design and control systems.[1]
The laboratory's key innovation was the development of the first collaborative robot with a fully integrated built-in vision system, combining a robot arm with machine vision in a single unified platform. This approach eliminated the need for separate vision systems, external cameras, and complex integration work that was typically required when adding vision capabilities to traditional robot arms. The integrated "hands, eyes, and brains" concept became Techman's defining competitive advantage.[1][2]
In 2015, the robotics division was established as Techman Robot Inc., an independent company under the Quanta Computer corporate umbrella. That same year, Techman unveiled the TM5 collaborative robot at the International Robot Exhibition (iREX) in Tokyo, Japan. The TM5 was the first commercially available cobot with a built-in vision system, integrating an industrial camera, lighting system, and image processing software directly into the robot's arm.[1]
The first commercial TM5 shipments occurred at the end of 2016. The robot offered a combination of features that differentiated it from competing cobots: built-in smart vision for object recognition, positioning, and barcode reading; an intuitive flow-based programming interface; and compliance with international safety standards for human-robot collaboration. The TM5 could be set up and performing basic pick-and-place tasks within minutes of unboxing, a significant advantage for small and medium enterprises.[1][2]
Techman's growth accelerated rapidly after the TM5 launch. In 2018, the company debuted the TM12 and TM14 at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS), expanding its product line to higher payload and longer reach applications.
On May 11, 2018, Techman Robot signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with OMRON Corporation in Kyoto, Japan, committing to the worldwide promotion of collaborative robots. Through this alliance, OMRON would globally market and sell Techman's TM series cobots via OMRON's extensive worldwide distribution network under a co-branded logo, starting in the second half of fiscal year 2018.[3]
The OMRON partnership was transformative for Techman's global reach. OMRON's established presence in factory automation across Asia, Europe, and North America gave Techman access to a distribution and support infrastructure that would have taken years to build independently. By 2019, Techman had become the second-largest cobot brand in the world by market share.[1][3]
In 2021, OMRON deepened its relationship with Techman by acquiring a 10% equity stake in the company. The investment aimed to jointly develop innovative robots combining OMRON's factory automation equipment with Techman's collaborative robot technology, ensuring both safety and productivity while addressing labor shortages at manufacturing sites worldwide.[3][6]
As of 2021, Techman held approximately 10% of the global collaborative robot market, with Universal Robots maintaining its lead at approximately 50%. Techman competed for the number-two position with the Chinese company Shenzhen Dobot.[1]
In September 2025, Techman Robot's shares were officially listed and traded on the Taipei Exchange (TPEx), marking the company's debut as a publicly traded entity. The IPO provided additional capital for research and development, manufacturing expansion, and the company's push into new robotics markets.[4]
Also in 2025, Techman unveiled its first humanoid robot prototype, the TM Xplore 1. Unlike the bipedal humanoids being developed by companies such as Tesla and Unitree Robotics, Techman's humanoid uses a wheeled base for stability and efficiency in factory and warehouse environments. The company plans to bring TM Xplore 1 to market in 2026.[5]
At NVIDIA GTC 2026, Techman Robot showcased motion training technology for its humanoid robot platform, demonstrating the company's investment in AI-driven robotics capabilities.[7]
The TM Robot series is Techman's core product line of collaborative robots with built-in vision systems. All TM cobots share the same integrated vision architecture, flow-based programming interface, and safety features, differentiated by payload capacity, reach, and application-specific optimizations.
| Model | Payload | Reach | Key applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| TM5 | 4 kg / 6 kg | 700 mm / 900 mm | Light assembly, pick-and-place, inspection |
| TM7 | 7 kg | 900 mm | General-purpose handling, packaging |
| TM12 | 12 kg | 1,300 mm | Palletizing, machine tending, heavy pick-and-place |
| TM14 | 14 kg | 1,100 mm | Industrial assembly, material handling |
| TM16 | 16 kg | 900 mm | Heavy-duty precision tasks |
| TM20 | 20 kg | 1,300 mm | High-payload palletizing and logistics |
| TM25S | 25 kg | 1,900 mm | Longest reach model, extended workspace applications |
All TM cobots feature:
The TM Operator series combines Techman cobots with autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for mobile manipulation applications. These systems enable a cobot arm mounted on a mobile base to navigate between workstations, perform tasks at each station, and move on to the next, providing flexibility for multi-step manufacturing processes.[1]
TM Smart Factory is Techman's software platform for integrating multiple cobots, vision systems, and production data into a unified factory management system. The platform provides real-time monitoring, task scheduling, quality tracking, and data analytics for cobot-equipped production lines.[1]
The TM Xplore 1 is Techman's first humanoid robot prototype, unveiled in 2025 and targeted for commercial launch in 2026. The robot features a wheeled base (rather than bipedal legs), an articulated humanoid upper body with dual arms, and integrated vision and AI systems. The wheeled design choice prioritizes stability, energy efficiency, and practical deployability in factory and warehouse environments over the mobility range but lower reliability of bipedal locomotion.[5]
Techman's primary technological differentiator is the integration of a complete machine vision system directly into the robot arm. Traditional cobots require external vision systems that must be separately purchased, mounted, calibrated, and integrated, a process that adds significant cost and complexity. Techman's approach embeds the camera, ring lighting, and image processing hardware into the robot's wrist, with vision processing software built into the robot's control system.[2]
The built-in vision system supports multiple functions:
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| Object recognition | Identifies parts, products, and workpieces using template matching and AI-based vision |
| Positioning | Determines precise object positions for accurate grasping and placement |
| Barcode/QR reading | Reads 1D and 2D codes for traceability and process control |
| Visual inspection | Detects defects, measures dimensions, and performs quality checks |
| Landmark navigation | Uses visual landmarks for precise positioning relative to workstations |
TMflow is Techman's proprietary graphical programming environment that uses a flow-chart-based approach to robot programming. Users create robot programs by connecting nodes representing actions (move, pick, place, inspect, wait, logic) in a visual flowchart, without writing code. The system is designed to enable factory operators without robotics or programming experience to set up and modify cobot tasks. Techman claims that simple applications can be configured in minutes, significantly reducing deployment time compared to traditional industrial robots.[2]
The partnership with OMRON is Techman's most significant strategic relationship. Established through a 2018 MOU and deepened by OMRON's 2021 equity investment (10% stake), the alliance gives Techman access to OMRON's global distribution network spanning Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America. OMRON sells Techman cobots as co-branded "OMRON TM" robots, integrating them with OMRON's factory automation products including PLCs, sensors, safety systems, and autonomous mobile robots.[3][6]
Techman has established partnerships with educational institutions, including a collaboration with Vincennes University and Telamon Robotics in the United States, to develop cobot training curricula and certification programs for the manufacturing workforce.[1]
Techman operates in the rapidly growing global collaborative robot market. The company's competitive advantages include its built-in vision system (a unique differentiator that no other major cobot manufacturer has matched at the hardware integration level), the backing and manufacturing expertise of parent company Quanta Computer, and the distribution partnership with OMRON.[1][2]
The global cobot market has grown rapidly since the mid-2010s, driven by labor shortages, the need for flexible automation in small and medium enterprises, and improvements in safety technology that enable robots to work alongside humans without cages. Techman competes primarily with Universal Robots (Denmark), FANUC collaborative robots (FANUC, Japan), ABB (Switzerland), and Dobot (China).[1]