diff --git a/kuka_cybertech_support/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/collision/rail_base.stl b/kuka_cybertech_support/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/collision/rail_base.stl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fcbf9328
Binary files /dev/null and b/kuka_cybertech_support/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/collision/rail_base.stl differ
diff --git a/kuka_cybertech_support/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/collision/rail_carriage.stl b/kuka_cybertech_support/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/collision/rail_carriage.stl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f5c057f1
Binary files /dev/null and b/kuka_cybertech_support/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/collision/rail_carriage.stl differ
diff --git a/kuka_cybertech_support/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/visual/rail_base.stl b/kuka_cybertech_support/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/visual/rail_base.stl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4f03226d
Binary files /dev/null and b/kuka_cybertech_support/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/visual/rail_base.stl differ
diff --git a/kuka_cybertech_support/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/visual/rail_carriage.stl b/kuka_cybertech_support/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/visual/rail_carriage.stl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..35fc9af4
Binary files /dev/null and b/kuka_cybertech_support/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/visual/rail_carriage.stl differ
diff --git a/kuka_cybertech_support/urdf/kr16_r2010_2.urdf.xacro b/kuka_cybertech_support/urdf/kr16_r2010_2.urdf.xacro
index 0f09741d..766e59ea 100644
--- a/kuka_cybertech_support/urdf/kr16_r2010_2.urdf.xacro
+++ b/kuka_cybertech_support/urdf/kr16_r2010_2.urdf.xacro
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@
   <xacro:arg name="pitch" default="0"/>
   <xacro:arg name="yaw" default="0"/>
   <xacro:kuka_cybertech_ros2_control name="$(arg prefix)kr16_r2010_2" driver_version="$(arg driver_version)" client_ip="$(arg client_ip)" client_port="$(arg client_port)" controller_ip="$(arg controller_ip)" prefix="$(arg prefix)" mode="$(arg mode)" use_gpio="$(arg use_gpio)" roundtrip_time="$(arg roundtrip_time)" verify_robot_model="$(arg verify_robot_model)"/>
-  <xacro:kuka_kr16_r2010_2_robot prefix="$(arg prefix)" package_name="kuka_cybertech_support">
+  <link name="world" />
+  <xacro:kuka_kr16_r2010_2_robot prefix="$(arg prefix)" package_name="kuka_cybertech_support" parent="world">
     <origin xyz="$(arg x) $(arg y) $(arg z)" rpy="$(arg roll) $(arg pitch) $(arg yaw)"/>
   </xacro:kuka_kr16_r2010_2_robot>
 </robot>
diff --git a/kuka_cybertech_support/urdf/kr16_r2010_2_macro.xacro b/kuka_cybertech_support/urdf/kr16_r2010_2_macro.xacro
index 21650327..b36b6790 100644
--- a/kuka_cybertech_support/urdf/kr16_r2010_2_macro.xacro
+++ b/kuka_cybertech_support/urdf/kr16_r2010_2_macro.xacro
@@ -1,8 +1,45 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
 <robot xmlns:xacro="http://wiki.ros.org/xacro">
-  <xacro:macro name="kuka_kr16_r2010_2_robot" params="prefix package_name *origin">
+  <xacro:macro name="kuka_kr16_r2010_2_robot" params="prefix package_name *origin parent external_axis:=false">
+    <xacro:if value="${external_axis}">
+      <link name="${prefix}rail_base">
+        <visual>
+          <origin rpy="0 0 0" xyz="-4.6875 0 0" />
+          <geometry>
+            <mesh filename="package://${package_name}/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/visual/rail_base.stl" scale="1 1 1" />
+          </geometry>
+          <material name="grey">
+            <color rgba="0.1 0.1 0.1 1.0" />
+          </material>
+        </visual>
+        <collision>
+          <origin rpy="0 0 0" xyz="-4.6875 0 0" />
+          <geometry>
+            <mesh filename="package://${package_name}/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/collision/rail_base.stl" scale="1 1 1" />
+          </geometry>
+        </collision>
+      </link>
+      <link name="${prefix}rail_carriage">
+        <visual>
+          <!-- TODO eyeballed this origin, needs to be measured -->
+          <origin rpy="0 0 0" xyz="-0.4975 0 0" />
+          <geometry>
+            <mesh filename="package://${package_name}/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/visual/rail_carriage.stl" scale="1 1 1" />
+          </geometry>
+          <material name="light_grey">
+            <color rgba="0.6 0.6 0.6 1.0" />
+          </material>
+        </visual>
+        <collision>
+          <origin rpy="0 0 0" xyz="-0.4975 0 0" />
+          <geometry>
+            <mesh filename="package://${package_name}/meshes/kr16_r2010_2/collision/rail_carriage.stl"
+              scale="1 1 1" />
+          </geometry>
+        </collision>
+      </link>
+    </xacro:if>
     <!-- links - main serial chain -->
-    <link name="world"/>
     <link name="${prefix}base_link">
       <collision>
         <geometry>
@@ -101,11 +138,32 @@
         <origin rpy="-0.0 0.0 -0.0" xyz="0.0 0.0 0.0"/>
       </visual>
     </link>
-    <joint name="${prefix}world-base_link" type="fixed">
-      <parent link="world"/>
-      <child link="${prefix}base_link"/>
-      <xacro:insert_block name="origin"/>
-    </joint>
+    <xacro:if value="${external_axis}">
+      <joint name="${prefix}parent-rail_base" type="fixed">
+        <parent link="${parent}" />
+        <child link="${prefix}rail_base" />
+        <xacro:insert_block name="origin"/>
+      </joint>
+      <joint name="${prefix}linear_rail" type="prismatic">
+        <axis xyz="1 0 0" />
+        <parent link="${prefix}rail_base" />
+        <child link="${prefix}rail_carriage" />
+        <origin rpy="0 0 0" xyz="0 0 0" />
+        <limit acceleration="1.0" effort="100000.0" lower="-2.0" upper="2.0" velocity="0.175" />
+      </joint>
+      <joint name="${prefix}base_link" type="fixed">
+        <parent link="${prefix}rail_carriage"/>
+        <child link="${prefix}base_link"/>
+        <origin xyz="0 0.159 0" rpy="-1.5708 -1.5708 0" />
+      </joint>
+    </xacro:if>
+    <xacro:unless value="${external_axis}">
+      <joint name="${prefix}parent-base_link" type="fixed">
+        <parent link="${parent}"/>
+        <child link="${prefix}base_link"/>
+        <xacro:insert_block name="origin"/>
+      </joint>
+    </xacro:unless>
     <joint name="${prefix}joint_1" type="revolute">
       <axis xyz="0.0 0.0 1.0"/>
       <child link="${prefix}link_1"/>
diff --git a/kuka_cybertech_support/urdf/kr_cybertech_ros2_control_macro.xacro b/kuka_cybertech_support/urdf/kr_cybertech_ros2_control_macro.xacro
index 368de915..4f673bd7 100644
--- a/kuka_cybertech_support/urdf/kr_cybertech_ros2_control_macro.xacro
+++ b/kuka_cybertech_support/urdf/kr_cybertech_ros2_control_macro.xacro
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <robot xmlns:xacro="http://www.ros.org/wiki/xacro">
-  <xacro:macro name="kuka_cybertech_ros2_control" params="name driver_version client_ip client_port controller_ip prefix mode use_gpio roundtrip_time verify_robot_model">
+  <xacro:macro name="kuka_cybertech_ros2_control" params="name driver_version client_ip client_port controller_ip prefix mode use_gpio roundtrip_time verify_robot_model external_axis:=false">
     <!-- gazebo -->
     <xacro:if value="${mode == 'gazebo'}">
       <xacro:include filename="$(find kuka_gazebo)/gazebo/kuka_gazebo.xacro"/>
@@ -67,6 +67,14 @@
           <param name="initial_value">0.0</param>
         </state_interface>
       </joint>
+      <xacro:if value="${external_axis}">
+        <joint name="${prefix}linear_rail">
+          <command_interface name="position"/>
+          <state_interface name="position">
+            <param name="initial_value">0.0</param>
+          </state_interface>
+        </joint>
+      </xacro:if>
       <xacro:if value="${use_gpio}">
         <xacro:include filename="$(find kuka_rsi_driver)/config/gpio_config.xacro"/>
         <xacro:gpio_config/>