Franka Emika Panda
Sensitive 7-axis collaborative research robot arm
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The Panda is a torque-sensing, seven-axis collaborative robot arm developed by the German company Franka Emika (now Franka Robotics) for research, education, and light industrial tasks. It pairs force-sensitive joints with an intuitive teaching and programming workflow, making it a widely adopted platform in robotics and AI labs. Franka has since withdrawn the Panda from its portfolio and replaced it with successor systems.
Released: 2017
RoboZaps evaluation note
Buyer-side view of Franka Emika Panda
RoboZaps reviews Franka Emika Panda as part of a broader robot shortlist, not as a single-vendor pitch. Buyers should compare availability, deployment maturity, support terms, integration work, and total cost before committing.
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- Availability
- paid deployment
- Support caveat
- Verify local training, maintenance, parts, and uptime terms.
Best fit
Teams that need to compare Franka Emika Panda against otherindustrial cobots options with deployment readiness, commercial terms, and support assumptions made explicit.
Not best fit
Buyers who need a guaranteed off-the-shelf deployment before confirming current availability, integrator coverage, site readiness, and post-sale support ownership.
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Estimated lead time: 12 weeks
Overview
The Franka Emika Panda is a collaborative robot arm built by the Munich-based company Franka Emika (now Franka Robotics, part of Agile Robots). It is distinguished by torque sensors in every joint, giving it high force sensitivity and the ability to work safely alongside people and in contact-rich tasks.
The Panda became a standard platform across robotics and AI research and education, valued for its intuitive teaching, programmability, and open research interface. It was paired with an ecosystem of grippers, software, and control tooling.
Franka has withdrawn the Panda (also known internally as the FER / Franka Emika Robot) from its portfolio, ending software support and replacing it with successor systems aimed at industrial and research use. Replacement units are only available from remaining stock.
Key Features
- Torque sensors in all joints for force-sensitive, compliant motion and contact tasks
- Seven-axis articulated design giving human-like dexterity in tight or obstructed spaces
- Intuitive hand-guiding and visual programming for fast teaching without deep robotics expertise
- Open real-time control interface for research, plus an ecosystem of grippers and add-ons
- Collaborative operation designed to work safely in shared human workspaces
Videos
Deployment Evidence
Franka Research 3 — Official Product Page
The Franka Research 3 (successor to the Panda) is available through distributors including Clearpath Robotics at ~$30,000 USD; widely used in research institutions worldwide.
franka_ros — Official ROS Integration
Official ROS/ROS 2 packages for the Franka robot arm with 1kHz real-time control, MoveIt2 integration, and complete URDF models.
Deployment Readiness
Integration & SDK
- ROS Support
- Supported
- SDK Available
- Supported
- API Docs
- View Docs
- Supported Platforms
- Linux, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, ROS 1 (Noetic), ROS 2, C++, Python, MATLAB/Simulink
Support & Service
Regions
| Tier | Response Time | SLA |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 72 hrs | — |
Specifications
Connectivity
| Communication | Ethernet |
Environment
| IP Rating | 30 |
Mechanics
| Degrees of Freedom | 7 |
| Locomotion | Stationary |
Performance
| Max Speed | 2 m/s |
| Payload Capacity | 3 kg |
| Reach | 855 mm |
| Repeatability | 0.1 mm |
Physical
| Weight | 18 kg |
Sensing
| Sensors | Joint torque sensors |
Software
| SDK Support | Yes |
| ROS Compatible | Yes |
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