In 2022, Automation World got an early preview of OnRobot’s D:Ploy technology, which was developed to ease the process of robot setup and programming. According to OnRobot, D:Ploy automates the process of getting a robotic application up and running, enabling complete robot applications to be deployed and redeployed within a few hours in a manufacturing environment with no programming.
Beyond D:Ploy’s general applicability in simplifying robot setup, a clear goal for OnRobot involved reducing the extra costs and complexities associated with robot installation that can keep many manufacturers — especially small and medium-sized businesses — from implementing robotic automation.
The D:Ploy software guides users through the setup steps requiring input only of basic information about the application to be performed, such as pallet size and orientation for palletizing or machine type and part dimensions for machine tending.
To demonstrate how quickly D:Ploy enables robotic equipment to be set up and running, OnRobot conducted a 70-minute robotic palletizing demo with partner Doig at the 2025 Automate show.
The video below, featuring OnRobot’s chief commercial officer James Taylor, includes a time-lapse video of the 70-minute installation referenced above. In the video, Taylor explains D:Ploy and the company’s approach to plug-and-produce end-of-arm tools with its One System Solution. This integration of OnRobot’s end-of-arm-tooling works across all major robot brands, according to Taylor, to provide “true plug-and-produce functionality.” He shows how EOAT changes can be done in seconds with no rewiring or reprogramming required.
VIDEO CHAPTERS
0:07 — D:Ploy off-the-shelf applications
0:33 — Time lapse video showing 70-minute palletizing robot installation with D:Ploy
1:14 — OnRobot’s plug-and-produce gripper compatibility
2:25 — Plug-and-produce EOAT beyond grippers
2:58 — How OnRobot’s plug-and-produce EOAT is designed to work across robot brands
