Techman Robot is a Taiwanese cobot maker in the Quanta Computer group, based in Taoyuan, whose TM arms carry 5 to 30 kg and have a 5-megapixel autofocus camera built into the wrist, so many positioning and reading tasks need no separate camera. If you’ve seen “Omron TM” cobots, they’re the same arms: Omron has sold Techman’s cobots under a co-branded alliance since 2018 and agreed to take about a 10% stake in Techman in 2021. Neither company publishes prices.
TM S-Series models
| Model | Payload | Reach (Techman) |
|---|---|---|
| TM5S | 5 kg | 946 mm |
| TM6S | 6 kg | 1,800 mm |
| TM7S | 7 kg | 758 mm |
| TM12S | 12 kg | 1,300 mm |
| TM14S | 14 kg | 1,100 mm |
| TM20S | 20 kg | 1,300 mm |
| TM25S | 25 kg | 1,902 mm |
| TM30S | 30 kg | 1,702 mm |
From Techman’s catalog and model pages for the TM6S and TM7S, checked October 24, 2026. Omron’s current brochure lists the same payloads and the same reach for six models, but gives 900 mm for the TM5S and 700 mm for the TM7S; neither company explains the difference, so check the reach drawing in the quote. The TM6S’s 1,800 mm reach is unusually long for a 6 kg arm; it suits tending machines or reaching across a wide conveyor with light parts. The older standard series (TM5-700/900, TM12, TM14, TM16, TM20) is still listed. On the TM25S and TM30S, Omron offers a PalletBoost license (TMflow 2.22 or later) that adds 5 kg of payload for certain palletizing moves.
What the built-in camera does, and when you need more
Techman’s spec sheet lists an eye-in-hand autofocus color camera at 5 MP with a built-in light, working from 100 mm to infinity, for positioning, 1D/2D barcode reading, OCR, defect detection, measurement and assembly checks. Its TM Landmark marker lets the arm find its position again after it’s moved to a new station, which suits mobile or frequently changed cells.
The built-in camera fits jobs where the arm can look at the part from the wrist at a short, steady distance:
- Locating a part or tray before picking, and re-finding a station with TM Landmark.
- Reading barcodes, 2D codes and printed labels.
- Simple presence and assembly checks.
Plan a separate camera setup when:
- The camera has to watch from a fixed point while the arm works (eye-to-hand). Techman supports up to two external GigE 2D cameras, or one 2D and one 3D camera, at extra cost for vision software and hardware; Omron sells this as a TM External Vision license.
- You need 3D picking, which uses a designated plug-and-play 3D camera.
- Lighting at the wrist can’t be controlled. Techman’s accuracy figures are measured in its lab at 100 mm and it notes that results change with ambient light, the object and how the vision job is programmed, so test reflective or low-contrast parts on your own samples.
Techman’s software adds AI functions for classification, object detection, segmentation, anomaly detection and OCR. That built-in vision is its main difference from Universal Robots and Doosan, where vision is an add-on.
Software and licenses
TMflow, Techman’s flowchart-style programming software, is a free download per Omron’s TM S manual catalog. Omron also lists paid add-on licenses delivered on a USB dongle, including TM Identify & Measure, TM External Vision and TM OCR, without published prices (Omron TM software page). Techman’s own pages don’t say which AI and vision functions need a license, or whether its AI training tools are sold separately. Ask each seller to list which licenses are included in the quote and which cost extra.
Techman and Omron: one arm, two brands
Omron and Techman formed a strategic alliance in 2018 under which Omron sells TM cobots worldwide, and Omron agreed to take about a 10% stake in 2021, per The Robot Report; its current stake hasn’t been published since. Omron’s brochure lists all eight S-Series models, and Omron announced the TM30S, TM20S and TM6S with IP65 protection in December 2025.
Keep two questions apart when choosing the channel:
- Supplier convenience: if your plant already buys Omron controllers, sensors or vision, one supplier means one contract, one service contact and one training program. Omron offers its own service contracts, training and field support for TM arms.
- Actual system compatibility: buying through Omron doesn’t by itself make the arm work more closely with Omron PLCs. We found no dedicated TM library for Omron’s Sysmac software; Omron’s documented example connects a TM arm to an NJ/NX controller over standard TCP socket messages. Both brands list the same interfaces: Modbus TCP/RTU and Ethernet as standard, with PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and EtherCAT as options.
What to compare in each quote
Ask Techman distributors and Omron to quote on the same basis:
- Same model and generation: S-Series or older standard series, with or without camera (Omron’s X models have none), and the reach drawing used.
- Vision and software: which licenses are included (for example external vision, OCR, identify and measure), and any external cameras or lighting.
- Local integration: who builds the cell, programs it and connects it to your PLC, and over which interface.
- Training, warranty and service: who provides each, the warranty length, response times and where spare parts come from.
- The full cell: gripper, stand, safety assessment and commissioning; our cobot quote checklist lists the lines.
How to buy
- Choose the model by payload and reach; for palletizing, the TM25S and TM30S are compared with rivals in our cobot palletizer comparison.
- Find a seller through Techman’s distributor search at tm-robot.com or Omron’s sales channel, and get quotes on the checklist above.
- Test the vision job on your own parts and lighting before ordering; when you add a gripper, the tool center point offset is the first commissioning setting to check.
For the wider field, see our cobot companies comparison.
Omron also builds mobile manipulators by mounting TM S-series arms on its own AMR bases; the Omron AMR lineup lists the LD, MD and HD bases and the 2026 LD changeover.
Techman and Omron catalogs and pages checked October 24, 2026.