# Coffee machine + ur **URL:** \ **Category:** Technical Questions\ **Created:** [March 24, 2022, 6:14am UTC](https://forum.universal-robots.com/t/coffee-machine-ur/20099 "2022-03-24T06:14:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![junghyun\_1011](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@junghyun\_1011](https://forum.universal-robots.com/u/junghyun_1011)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2022, 6:14am UTC](https://forum.universal-robots.com/t/coffee-machine-ur/20099/1 "2022-03-24T06:14:48Z")
Hello guys, I am planning to make a coffee robot using UR5. We have a kiosk but I have no idea what kind of communication to use. Thank you ! ---
**Author:** ![anon507564](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@anon507564](https://forum.universal-robots.com/u/anon507564)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2022, 3:03pm UTC](https://forum.universal-robots.com/t/coffee-machine-ur/20099/2 "2022-03-24T15:03:03Z")
Sounds like a fun and interesting project. What will the robot be doing? How will it get orders from the public? Will it be picking and placing cups and starting the dispenser? Adding cream/sugar/irish whiskey? 🤣 Placing lids? Will it interact with the public or simply place the drinks on a bench/table/tray? UR has, I think, most of the common communications capabilities built in, or you can run straight from the built-in controller (Polyscope). ---
**Author:** ![terryc](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.universal-robots.com/terryc/32/3006_2.png) [@terryc](https://forum.universal-robots.com/u/terryc)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://forum.universal-robots.com/t/coffee-machine-ur/20099/3 "2022-03-24T15:50:39Z")
Niiiice. If it’s a Kiosk I assume you’ll have some kind of separate interface for the user? If so, the XMLRPC and TCP socket communication functionality will be very useful for anything you set up, especially if it’s a web-based UI. ---
**Author:** ![junghyun\_1011](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@junghyun\_1011](https://forum.universal-robots.com/u/junghyun_1011)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2022, 11:59pm UTC](https://forum.universal-robots.com/t/coffee-machine-ur/20099/4 "2022-03-24T23:59:05Z")
Hi, Thank you for your comment. The UR will do what you just said (picking & placing cups, start the dispenser) but the user will order it from the Kiosk. Lets say the user orders what they want by touching the kiosk, order proceeds, then the robot should be making. What kind of communication should be used between the kiosk and the robot? ---
**Author:** ![brian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@brian](https://forum.universal-robots.com/u/brian)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2026, 9:00am UTC](https://forum.universal-robots.com/t/coffee-machine-ur/20099/5 "2026-09-30T09:00:56Z")
I looked into something similar when I wanted to automate a simple pour over setup with a small robotic arm, and the biggest headache was never the arm itself but figuring out how the machine and the kiosk actually talk to each other. Most commercial coffee units use serial or Modbus over RS232, while UR5 works best with TCP/IP or Modbus TCP through its dashboard and RTDE interface, so you usually need a middle layer like a Raspberry Pi or PLC to translate commands. [This helped me](https://connectvending.co.uk/blog/guide-to-small-office-coffee-machines) realise that the brewing side is actually the easy part and the communication protocol is where projects stall. You also have to think about timing, because espresso extraction is unforgiving and any network lag ruins the shot. For a neutral overview of how small commercial machines handle their interfaces, this guide covers the basics of what to expect. In my experience, starting with a simple relay trigger before full digital control saves months of frustration.