Last week, Soft Robotics Inc. released its mGrip modular grasping system. The Bedford, Mass.-based company said its “on-demand” system will help soft robotics proliferate and allow users “to build, validate, and install production-ready systems in minutes.” Soft Robotics designs and sells soft manipulators using patented technology based on research by Prof. George M. Whitesides at…
Soft Robotics Gripper Helps Micron Products Cut Costs, Maintain Quality
Micron Products, a wholly owned subsidiary of Micron Solutions Inc., is a contract manufacturer in Fitchburg, Mass. that specializes in precision machining, thermoplastic injection molding, mold making and more. To reduce costs and improve quality, Micron wanted to automate the pick and place process of the delicate plastic clips it produces for a car seat…
Soft Robotics raises $20M to strengthen grip in e-commerce
Cambridge, Mass.-based Soft Robotics, maker of soft robotic grippers that conform to and pick up a variety of objects, raised $20 million in an oversubscribed funding round. Soft Robotics raised a $5 million Series A in December 2015, bringing its total funding to date to more than $25 million. Soft Robotics CEO Carl Vause tells The…
3D Printing Soft Robotics with Embedded Sensors
One of the major challenges in the robotics industry is creating robots that are inspired by nature. This is no easy task, of course, and many of the major challenges associate with creating bio-inspired robots haven’t changed in years. Materials that couple sensing, actuation, computation, and communication must be developed before bio-inspired robots take off. And…
MIT creates gentle robot that works using water
Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineers have created a robot that is made of hydrogels and powered by water that has the potential to be used in surgical applications. Tough, rubbery and mostly water, these robots can perform an array of tasks including kicking a ball or grabbing and releasing live fish. The transparent robots move…