About us

Simple. In a word, that's our vision.

From our start in 2010, our cobots have been designed to follow that vision. We were the first to eliminate robot programming entirely and bring teach-by-touch technology to the market. We are the leading American collaborative robot manufacturer.

Productive Robotics designs and manufactures all of our cobots in the USA

We build all of our cobots in our Santa Barbara, California facility. Our in-house capabilities allow us to control costs and offer world class quality with pricing that even the most well known imported collaborative robots (cobots) have never matched.

Automation for all

Traditional robot barriers of complex integration and high costs don't apply to cobots. The advantages of automation are now accessible to any size business for nearly any task. It's easier than you might think to get started. And simple.

Techie jargon not spoken here

OB7 is the original zero programming cobot that started it all —and still the easiest to use. You can set up in under an hour and teach OB7 your first job in minutes

Our more recent Blaze welding cobots allow welders to teach a job faster than doing it by hand. Blaze then repeats the identical, clean, precise welds every time.

Simply put, simple saves money. Or others might say; this results in application flexibility, efficient integration, broad user confidence, and almost immediate return on investment (ROI).

Our history: back to the future

Productive Robotics was spun out from ZBE, Inc. a company developing robotic camera systems used in motion pictures and television special effects. Their history started with Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and their robotic camera systems were used in diverse productions including: The Right Stuff, Twilight Zone, Top Gun, and numerous animated short films and commercials.

Through the years, ZBE's developed a wide technology base spanning robotics, motion control, digital imaging and printing, hybrid micro-electronics and high precision mechatronic systems. ZBE's digital printing systems for commercial and professional imaging are in use in 60 countries worldwide.

In 2010, Productive Robotics was formed and focuses exclusively on Collaborative Robotic Systems

Automate with confidence. It's easy to get started.

Talk with an expert

Questions or unique requirements? Our robotics experts are here at our U.S. factory, ready to offer ideas and solutions. Many shops and manufacturing teams find fast answers by seeing our cobot capabilities and asking questions in a live online demo.

Complete the form below to contact us. We'll help with your specific requirements and work with you to make your first—and every—automation a success from day one.