Robotics 路 Free
KUKA Robot Programming with KUKA.Sim, smartPAD and WorkVisual
Simulation in KUKA iiQWorks.Sim (formerly KUKA.Sim), KRL structure and programming on the smartPAD, WorkVisual configuration, fieldbus and PLC integration, safety, advanced KRL, backups and the new KRC5 micro with iiQKA.OS.
Inside the course
From the lessons
KUKA.Sim: Getting Started
KUKA Group
TCP, Bases and Home
KUKA Group
Drawing, Splines and Blending
KUKA Group
The smartPAD: Operation, Modes and Mastering
Automation studios & Robotic technology
Fieldbus Communication
Jackbauerkumudaoren
Safety Configuration
Jackbauerkumudaoren
Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits below and are shown from YouTube.
What you will learn
Build and program a cell in iiQWorks.Sim (formerly KUKA.Sim), write structured KRL with control structures, CIRC and splines, define TCPs and bases, write and blend motion, transfer to a real robot, program on the smartPAD, configure I/O and fieldbuses in WorkVisual, start the robot from a PLC, configure safety, use interrupts, search, palletising and variables in KRL, manage external axes, back up and recover a controller, and get started with KRC5 micro and iiQKA.OS.
- 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
- Program on the smartPAD and run in T1, AUTO and EXT
- Configure I/O and PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, PROFIBUS, EtherCAT, OPC UA in WorkVisual
- Start the robot from a PLC through the Automatic External interface
- Configure X11, PROFIsafe, workspace and torque monitoring
- Use interrupts, search, palletising and external axes; back up and recover; start with KRC5 micro and iiQKA.OS
For you
Taking KUKA Robot Programming with KUKA.Sim, smartPAD and WorkVisual from the United States
- Free in the United States, as everywhere, and self-paced: lessons, notes and the final assessment are open at any hour, so your time zone and shift pattern do not matter.
- The optional certificate for learners in the United States is a one-off US$23.99. What you get for it
- Plants across the Americas most often run Allen-Bradley, Siemens and Inductive Automation; each has its own free course to take next.
- See automation and engineering jobs in the United States, and what the industry looks like in Houston, Detroit and Chicago.
- EDWartens also has a regional site for the United States, for classroom training and local support: edwartens.com/us.
The course project 路 about 18 hours
Underbody handling cell on a KR 210: KRL structure, SafeOperation, S7-1500 handshake and cell FAT
Design, program, safeguard and document a KUKA handling cell in which one KR 210 R2700-2 on a KR C5 loads rear-floor panels from two manual loading fixtures into a spot-welding fixture, unloads the welded assembly to a rack, and is started and interlocked by a Siemens S7-1516F line PLC over PROFINET and PROFIsafe. You deliver the KRL program set with its CELL.SRC and interrupt routines, your own handshake table and risk register, a SafeOperation configuration with its checksum, a cell FAT record and the operator's recovery note. The sample pack shows what a body-shop integrator hands over.
Sample document pack, 10 documents, filled in for the scenario
- 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 C5
- Control narrativeCycle Description and Modes: Station UB40 Rear-Floor Handling
- SDSSoftware Design Specification: KRL Program Set and UB40 PLC Blocks
- Test reportStopping Time and Distance Measurement: KR 210 R2700-2 at Station UB40
- FATCell Acceptance Test Record: Station UB40 at the Integrator's Workshop
- O&M manualOperation and Maintenance Manual: Station UB40 (Operation and Recovery sections)
- Training recordOperator and Maintenance Training Record: Station UB40
Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
Course content
16 modules 路 90 lessons 路 12h 21m
In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.
- 01KUKA.Sim: Getting Started4 lessons41m
- 02Jogging, CAD and Components4 lessons23m
- 03TCP, Bases and Home5 lessons45m
- 04First Programs and KRL Structure4 lessons1h 0m
- 05Drawing, Splines and Blending4 lessons47m
- 06From Simulation to the Real Robot5 lessons50m
- 07The smartPAD: Operation, Modes and Mastering8 lessons54m
- 08WorkVisual6 lessons26m
Requirements
- Who it is for
- Beginner to intermediate.
- 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 What to download, and how
- Hardware
- None required.
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.
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.
KUKA Robot Programming with KUKA.Sim, smartPAD and WorkVisual at a glance
KUKA Robot Programming with KUKA.Sim, smartPAD and WorkVisual is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in manufacturing and robotics. It has 16 modules and 12h 21m of video lessons by KUKA Group, Jackbauerkumudaoren, Automation studios & Robotic technology and others, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.
All course factsHide course facts
- Price
- Free, for good. No trial, no card. The only paid item is the optional certificate, a small one-off fee.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in manufacturing and robotics
- Format
- 16 self-paced modules, 12h 21m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Beginner. Beginner to intermediate.
- Brand
- KUKA
- 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.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- KUKA Group, Jackbauerkumudaoren, Automation studios & Robotic technology, Future Robotics, rebots (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
A shareable EDWartens certificate
Finish every module and pass the final assessment, and the optional EDWartens certificate is yours. It carries a unique verification code on a public page anyone can check, so it stands up when a recruiter looks it up. See it below.
The course itself stays free whether or not you ever buy one.
Stuck? Ask a practising engineer
A free course usually means a comment section and hope. This one does not. Every module has an Ask-your-trainer panel that reaches the same engineers who teach our paid programme: people who commission panels for a living, not moderators.
Pairs well with
Robotics 路 FreeFANUC Robot Programming with the Teach Pendant and ROBOGUIDEFrom jogging and frames to TP programs, registers, branching, offsets, pick-and-place, ROBOGUIDE simulation, palletising, error recovery and PLC integration.
Robotics 路 FreeABB Robot Programming with RobotStudio and RAPIDRobotStudio from install to a running pick-and-place: stations, jogging, the FlexPendant, frames, paths, RAPID, collision checking, signals, physics, sharing and RobotStudio Cloud.
Robotics 路 FreeUniversal Robots Cobot Programming with PolyScopeCollaborative robots the way integrators use them: the UR family, tool and payload setup, the safety configuration, PolyScope programs, pick-and-place and palletising, force and blends, URSim, URScript, RTDE, sockets, PROFINET and real machine-tending and vision applications.
Robotics 路 FreeYaskawa Motoman Robot ProgrammingMotoman robots the way welding and handling shops run them: DX100, DX200 and YRC1000 controllers and pendants, jobs and interpolation, TCP, user frames and home, variables, counters and I/O, arc welding with weaving and anti-sticking, spot welding and tip dressing, alarms and recovery, backups, the Smart Pendant and MotoSim offline programming.More free courses: Free industrial robot programming courses
Learning paths with this course
- Industrial robotics 路 7 coursesFANUC, ABB and KUKA, three of the robot brands most common on automotive and electronics lines, plus the servo and motion control they sit on.
Learner reviews
No reviews yet
Reviews here are written only by learners who have finished every module of KUKA Robot Programming with KUKA.Sim, smartPAD and WorkVisual, and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.
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 KRC5 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.
What you walk away with
Your certificate for KUKA Robot Programming with KUKA.Sim, smartPAD and WorkVisual
Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.
Verifiable by anyone
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
QR code on the certificate
Names what you can do
A permanent link
Earned, not attended
Learning is free. The certificate is optional.
Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$23.99, with a receipt.
Issued by EDWartens, the training division of Wartens, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales). It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.
Credits
Who made the video lessons
The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
- KUKA Groupthe official KUKA.Sim beginner tutorials
- Jackbauerkumudaorenthe KUKA robot configuration, fieldbus, safety, KRL and iiQKA how-to series
- Automation studios & Robotic technologythe smartPAD operation clips
- Future Robotics4 lessons in "First Programs and KRL Structure", "Drawing, Splines and Blending" and "The smartPAD: Operation, Modes and Mastering"
- rebotsa lesson in "The smartPAD: Operation, Modes and Mastering"
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.