Robotics
KUKA Robot Programming with KUKA.Sim, smartPAD and WorkVisual
Program a KUKA robot in KRL, using free simulation software, the smartPAD and WorkVisual, then move to the real robot.
KUKA Robot Programming with KUKA.Sim, smartPAD and WorkVisual is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in manufacturing and robotics. It has 16 modules and takes about 18.4 hours, with written notes, a practice task per module, a practical project and a final assessment of 15 questions (pass mark 60%). Learning costs nothing and needs only a free account. The optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code, is a one-off US$23.99 for you; it is not a vendor credential. Updated 1 November 2026.
- Free
- Beginner
- 18.4 hours
- Self-paced
- Certificate optional
- Lab practice in your browser
No card, no trial. The course is free for good. Certificate US$23.99, optional.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in manufacturing and robotics
- Jobs
- Roles that use this skill: robot programmer, automation engineer, cell integrator and maintenance technician. No course guarantees a job.
- Tools
- KUKA iiQWorks.Sim Basic (free, the successor to KUKA.Sim) and KUKA.WorkVisual (free with a my.KUKA account); OfficeLite and the iiQWorks.Sim Advanced add-ons are licensed and optional. Hardware: none required.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Build and program a robot cell in the free simulator
- Write structured KRL with CIRC motion and splines
- Define TCPs and bases and blend motion
- Configure I/O and fieldbuses in WorkVisual
- Start the robot from a PLC and back up the controller
Who it is for, and what you need first
Who it is for
Engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in manufacturing and robotics.
Level: Beginner. Beginner to intermediate.
What you need
Software: KUKA iiQWorks.Sim Basic (free, the successor to KUKA.Sim) and KUKA.WorkVisual (free with a my.KUKA account); OfficeLite and the iiQWorks.Sim Advanced add-ons are licensed and optional.
Hardware: None required.. What to download, and how.
How this course works
Watch the lessons
Short video lessons, one module at a time, at your own pace.
Read the notes
Open the Reading tab for the written notes and diagrams of the module.
Practise in the 3D labOptional
Try the module in the free 3D lab, in your browser.
Check yourself
Answer the questions to see what stuck before you move on.
Final assessment
Pass the final once you have been through the modules.
Certificate, if you want oneOptional
Optional, with a page anyone can use to verify it.
What you learn
16 modules in order, at your own pace. 18.4 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1KUKA.Sim: Getting Started41m
- 2Jogging, CAD and Components, with lab practice: 23m
- 3TCP, Bases and Home45m
- 4First Programs and KRL Structure, with lab practice: 1h 0m
- 5Drawing, Splines and Blending47m
- 6From Simulation to the Real Robot50m
- 7The smartPAD: Operation, Modes and Mastering, with lab practice: 44m
- 8WorkVisual26m
Show the other 8 modules
- 9Fieldbus Communication1h 28m
- 10External Start from a PLC40m
- 11Safety Configuration, with lab practice: 36m
- 12Advanced KRL, with lab practice: 57m
- 13External Axes, Robot Team and CNC57m
- 14Backup, Recovery and Diagnostics55m
- 15KR C5 micro and iiQKA.OS58m
- 16Final Assessment
Software you need
What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.
Show what to download (2 tools)
Required
- 01Free edition with limits
iiQWorks.Sim (successor to KUKA.Sim)
KUKA
- Runs on
- Windows PC (see the system requirements in the KUKA Shop listing)
- Account
- A free my.KUKA account
KUKA's simulation software is now iiQWorks.Sim, which combines KUKA.Sim, WorkVisual and OfficeLite features. iiQWorks.Sim Basic is free of charge for robot configuration, layouts, 3D PDFs and videos. Offline programming, the virtual robot controller and PLC connection are paid Advanced add-ons.
Steps
- 1.Open the iiQWorks.Sim page on kuka.com and follow the link to the KUKA Shop.
- 2.Sign in to my.KUKA, or register a free account.
- 3.Add the free iiQWorks.Sim Basic licence to your account.
- 4.Download iiQWorks.Sim from my.KUKA and install it.
- 5.Start the software and sign in with your my.KUKA account to activate the Basic licence.
- The Basic edition is enough to build a robot cell and check reach. Program execution with the virtual controller needs a paid add-on.
- KUKA video tutorials for iiQWorks.Sim are linked from the product page.
Official download pagekuka.comAlternatives
- KUKA.WorkVisual: Free download with a my.KUKA account for KR C4 and KR C5 configuration and KRL editing.
- RoboDK: 30-day trial with KUKA robots and a KUKA KRC post processor.
Optional
Useful, not needed to finish the course.
- 02Free
KUKA.WorkVisual
KUKA
- Runs on
- Laptop or PC (see the release notes in the download for supported Windows versions)
- Account
- A free my.KUKA account
KUKA says a personal my.KUKA account gives access to its software downloads free of charge, and WorkVisual is offered there. KUKA.OfficeLite, the virtual KUKA controller, is not free: it is a licensed product bought through the KUKA Marketplace.
Steps
- 1.Open the KUKA.WorkVisual page on kuka.com and select the download link.
- 2.Sign in to my.KUKA, or register a free personal account.
- 3.Open the WorkVisual category and download the current version.
- 4.Unpack the download and run the setup as administrator.
- 5.Start WorkVisual and open or create a KR C4 or KR C5 project.
- WorkVisual configures and edits projects. To run KRL programs without a real robot you need KUKA.OfficeLite or iiQWorks.Sim Advanced, which are paid.
- Match the WorkVisual version to the KUKA System Software version used in your course or on your robot.
Official download pagekuka.comAlternatives
- iiQWorks.Sim Basic: KUKA's free simulation edition for robot cell layouts.
- KUKA.OfficeLite: Licensed virtual controller, available through the KUKA Marketplace, KUKA College or an employer.
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
Practise in the 3D lab
Practise the moves, modes and stops from the course on a working robot arm in the lab, from the first jog to pick and place and palletising.
- Safe startRobotics lab, about 15 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Safe start
- JogRobotics lab, about 20 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Jog
- Pick and placeRobotics lab, about 25 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Pick and place
- PalletisingRobotics lab, about 30 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Palletising
Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.
Course project, about 14 hours
Underbody handling cell on a KR 210: KRL, the PLC handshake, a safety record and a cell FAT
Design, program and document a KUKA handling cell. One KR 210 R2700-2 loads rear-floor panels from two loading fixtures into a spot-welding fixture, then unloads the welded assembly to a rack. A Siemens S7-1516F starts it over PROFINET. You deliver the cycle narrative, a layout with a reach check, a handshake table, the KRL program set and the PLC start sequence. You also deliver a safety record, a cell FAT and the operator's recovery note.
- 10documents in the pack
- 9steps to follow
- 6things to hand in
- 14 hof work, at your pace
- Cell layoutStation UB40 Layout and Safeguarding: Rear-Floor Handling Cell
- Risk registerRisk Assessment Register: Station UB40 (ISO 12100, task-based)
- SRSSafety Requirements Specification: Station UB40 Safety Functions
- I/O handshakePLC-Robot I/O Handshake Table: UB-PLC to KR C4
- Control narrativeCycle Description and Modes: Station UB40 Rear-Floor Handling
- SDSSoftware Design Specification: KRL Program Set and UB40 PLC Blocks
The project is optional practice. The certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
After the course, your next step
Show what you can do, then keep going in the same field.
A certificate you can verify
Finish the modules and pass the final assessment (15 questions, pass mark 60%) and you can add a certificate with a public verification page. One-off, US$23.99 for you. It is not a vendor credential.
Want a free certificate? Do the matching Free internship: 4 weeks, nothing to buy, with a free certificate of completion.
PLC Programming
Eight short weeks of PLC ladder logic on free simulators: notes, diagrams, a few videos and auto-tested tasks. Finish weeks 1 to 4 and the final, then claim a free Internship Completion Certificate with your real dates and study hours, and a QR code anyone can scan to verify it. Training, not employment.
See the internshipPart of a learning path
Courses in a planned order, so each one builds on the last.
More free courses
Roles that use this skill
- Robot programmer
- Automation engineer
- Cell integrator
- Maintenance technician
These are the kinds of roles where the skill is used. We make no promise of a job or an interview.
Plain notes
- Free: the whole course, the notes, the practice tasks, the final assessment and support from practising engineers.
- Paid, and optional: the course certificate, and the Engineer-verified internship (the Free internship costs nothing).
- No job promise: the course teaches a skill. It does not place you in a job.
- Lessons by: KUKA Group, Jackbauerkumudaoren, Future Robotics, rebots. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
KUKA Group · Jackbauerkumudaoren · Future Robotics · rebots. If you are one of these creators and want a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@edwartens.com.
Practise what you learn in the free 3D lab
Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.
- Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
- The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
- Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.
Why learn with EDWartens
What you get with this course, and what comes after it.
- Free from the first lesson to the final assessment.
- Practice in a free 3D lab in your browser, with nothing to install.
- Video lessons with written notes and a project.
- An optional certificate that anyone can verify online.
- Free internships to keep practising afterwards.
Common questions
Do I need a KUKA robot?
No. KUKA.Sim, now called iiQWorks.Sim, has a free Basic edition that covers the cell modules; KRL is written in the free WorkVisual or on paper, because running a program needs a licensed OfficeLite or a real controller; the pendant and safety modules are followed on screen.
Which controllers?
KRC4 with KSS 8.x for most modules, and a dedicated module on the KR C5 micro with iiQKA.OS.
Is the second source channel official?
No. It is an independent engineer's how-to series covering configuration topics the official channel does not. Cross-check anything safety-related against the KUKA manuals.
Is this a KUKA College certificate?
No. KUKA certifies through KUKA College. This course prepares you for that and for working in a KUKA cell.
Is the KUKA Robot Programming course really free?
Yes. Every module, practice task and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.
What certificate do I get, and is it a KUKA qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a KUKA credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons in the KUKA Robot Programming course?
The creators named in the Credits block at the foot of this page, on their own YouTube channels. EDWartens did not make the videos and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
Do I have to use the lab?
No. The lab is optional practice. You can skip it whenever you like, and it never blocks your progress, the final assessment or your certificate.
Is the lab free?
Yes. Every lab level for this course opens in your browser, free, with nothing to install.
What topics does the KUKA Robot Programming course cover, module by module?
The KUKA Robot Programming course has 16 modules. It opens with "KUKA.Sim: Getting Started", goes through "Jogging, CAD and Components", "From Simulation to the Real Robot", "Safety Configuration" and "KR C5 micro and iiQKA.OS" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the KUKA Robot Programming course?
After the KUKA Robot Programming course: Build and program an iiQWorks.Sim (formerly KUKA.Sim) cell from the eCatalog to a running pick-and-place; Define TCPs, bases and home positions and know what $TOOL and $BASE do; Write PTP, LIN and spline motion with blending and CONT. These are the practical outcomes the course is written around, and the final assessment of 15 questions checks them.
What software and hardware do I need for the KUKA Robot Programming course, and does it cost anything?
For the KUKA Robot Programming course, software: KUKA iiQWorks.Sim Basic (free, the successor to KUKA.Sim) and KUKA.WorkVisual (free with a my.KUKA account); OfficeLite and the iiQWorks.Sim Advanced add-ons are licensed and optional. Hardware: none required. The course itself is free.
Is the KUKA Robot Programming course suitable for me, and what level is it?
KUKA Robot Programming is rated beginner. Beginner to intermediate. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in manufacturing and robotics, and takes about 18.4 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the KUKA Robot Programming course?
Skills from the KUKA Robot Programming course (for example: build and program an iiQWorks.Sim (formerly KUKA.Sim) cell from the eCatalog to a running pick-and-place) are used in roles such as robot programmer, automation engineer, cell integrator and maintenance technician, and in robotics engineer work. The course gives you practical evidence of the skill; it does not promise a job, and employers decide on experience and interview.
Start free today
KUKA Robot Programming with KUKA.Sim, smartPAD and WorkVisual, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.