Even as the enabling technologies for exoskeletons have improved, there is much work yet to be done, says maxon’s Otto Oneichen.

A robotic brace that supports the neck during its natural motion is the first device shown to dramatically assist ALS patients in holding their heads and actively supporting them during range of motion.

Researchers at TU Delft have developed soft actuators that could help soft robots collaborate with humans.

Years ago, MIT Professor Neil Gershenfeld had an audacious thought. Struck by the fact that all the world’s living things are built out of combinations of just 20 amino acids, he wondered: Might it be possible to create a kit of just 20 fundamental parts that could be used to assemble all of the different…

Toyota Research Institute’s VP of robotics research explains how TRI is working on algorithmic techniques and simulation to improve manipulation for human-assist robots, eventually in the home.

Recycling robots such as AMP Robotics’ Cortex can help meet demand for more intensive recycling amid trade disputes. The CEO of Denver-based AMP explains the development of systems specifically for materials handling and sorting of waste.

SlothBot, a project shown at ICRA by Georgia Institute of Technology researchers, is designed to conserve energy and could be useful for environmental monitoring, infrastructure maintenance, and other long-term applications.

At the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston, Harmonic Drive will be sharing its expertise in actuators and motion control through a presentation and demonstrations on the show floor.

If you’re a robotics engineer, there is still time to register for next month’s Robotics Summit & Expo. The event in Boston will provide opportunities to learn from technology and business leaders about the development and use of commercial robots and intelligent systems.

Stanford University students have created a quadruped robot to navigate difficult terrain, and they’ve made the designs and source code open-source.

An international team of researchers has developed a climbing robot inspired by land leeches. The soft, flexible robots could be useful for infrastructure inspection and search-and-rescue applications.

Schunk GmbH last week released its EGL-C long-stroke gripper, which it said “represents a milestone in the road to achieving comprehensive human-robot collaboration.” The gripper is designed to achieve high gripping forces while complying with global safety standards. The company claimed that the EGL-C is the world’s first long-stroke gripper for collaborative operation. It achieves…

Plastic-motion-component maker igus could advance the collaborative-robotics industry when it unveils its low-cost ReBeL robotics joint at Hannover Messe 2018. The maintenance-free joint works in residential and commercial applications. The ReBeL gives a sixth rotation axis to modular robolink arms to let them reach myriad positions. According to igus, the new ReBeL will also make robots serving…

Conventional robotic actuators use a very traditional design of electric motors and gear systems to make robots move. These geared systems suffer from many limitations: Low speed, which limits productivity; play between the gears (known as backlash) which limits precision; high inertia that prevents rapid safety stops; high backdrive friction, which (with high inertia) makes gear systems […]

February fundings for 16 robotics-related startups totaled over $313 million – another solid month for the new year. Acquisitions also continued to be substantial with Ford's acquisition of Argo and Midea Group's purchase of Servotronix. Plus there were two IPOs. Fundings CloudMinds, a Chinese startup developing cloud-intelligence-based services for robotics and other application areas, raised $100…

Engineering of complex systems can sometimes be represented as a series of simplified approximations based on the performance of known subsystems.  In the case of wind turbines, there are 4 subsystems, aerodynamic, gearing, generator and power conversion.  In order to simplify the evaluation process of competing technologies in each category, they can be assigned an […]

For cost-effective, customizable robotic systems, igus has further updated the Robolink D modular robotic kit with new strain wave gearings in two installation sizes. The gearing, available as an individual component, or with integrated NEMA motor, consists of an outer ring gear and flexible, wear-resistant inner ring gear made from self-lubricating, wear resistant iglide plastic. […]

A thorough understanding of the mechanical load is crucial to successful motion applications.  Gear designers are experts in understanding the mechanical load.  Not just the RMS power requirement, but other issues such as impulse loads, the impact of heat on part geometry and life expectancy. Gear design, like electric motor design, has continued to evolve as clever designs have been […]

KEB America, Inc. has announced the launch of their System Integrator Program for the North American market. The program will partner talented system integrators with KEB engineers and application specialists. The goal is to pair KEB’s extensive automation product line with trusted local integrators. “Historically, KEB has worked with machine builder OEM’s in our target […]

February 7th is National Love Your Robot Day. Originally established 16 years ago by musician Victor Lams as a joke with a friend (and inspired by the original Star Wars trilogy and The Black Hole), today Love Your Robot Day still continues … even recognized by public school systems and the New York Public Library. So to celebrate, we robotictips.com editors pay homage to our favorite […]

One of the core principles of mechatronics is the ability to displace mechanical components where the functionality can be replicated by a blend of software in the control system and a good hardware strategy. The most commonly recognized application might be electronic line shafting.   The mechanical problem is that mechanical loads are required to […]

Today’s robotics industry could use some strategic guidance,  particularly in the area of healthcare.  By Frank Tobe, Editor and Publisher, The Robot Report  It is clear to me that the next big markets for robotics are: SMEs (robot workers and co-workers in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) Medical and healthcare (nursing assistance, surgeon augmentation, operating room…