Next-gen palletising demo uses new Siemens digital twin technology
7 January 2026 
Universal Robots, Siemens and the end-of-arm robotic tooling specialist Robotiq have joined forces to demonstrate a “groundbreaking” robotic palletising technology at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the US. The demo showed digital twin analytics being used to optimise gripper performance and suction points dynamically, highlighting how advanced robotics and digital twin technology can work together to accelerate industrial transformation.
The demo combined a Robotiq PAL Ready palletising cell with a Universal Robots UR20 robot arm, integrated with Siemens automation hardware and its new Digital Twin Composer software, launched at CES. A simulated palletising cell was rendered photo-realistically in real time, and paired with a live hardware demonstration of boxes of snacks and beverages being palletised. Data captured using Siemens’ Industrial Edge hardware was streamed to Siemens’ Insights Hub Copilot.
The demonstrator was designed to offer real-time insights into cell behaviour, reinforcing the theme of “digital AI meets physical AI” and presenting it in a real-time photorealistic environment created using the new software.
Jean-Pierre Hathout, president of the Teradyne Robotics Group, which owns UR, said that integration of the heavy-duty UR20 robot with Robotiq’s palletising cell and Siemens’ advanced automation and software “shows how digital and physical innovation can work hand-in-hand to transform production environments and deliver measurable ROI”.
Stuart McCutcheon, global vice-president of sales and customer success at Siemens Digital Industries, added that the demo “exemplifies what can happen when you mix together advanced automation and real-time digital twins with the power of industrial AI,” bringing the industrial metaverse to life, and demonstrating how manufacturers can use it to innovate faster, optimise operations and unlock efficiencies.
According to Robotiq CEO, Samuel Bouchard, the collaboration with UR and Siemens demonstrated “how lean palletising, combined with cutting-edge digital twin technology, can help companies boost efficiency and adapt quickly to changing demands”.
