„ReBeLs on Wheels“ make driverless transport systems affordable through modern plastic technology

Cologne/Hanover, April 24, 2024 – Mobile robotics systems are being used in more and more work areas, in e-commerce warehouses as well as in modern restaurants. Conventional models on the market start at around 25,000 euros, while solutions with an integrated robot arm start at around 70,000 euros. However, widespread use in the market is often unaffordable for small and medium-sized enterprises due to the high prices. igus wants to change this with new low-cost robotics offerings and is presenting a series of low-cost mobile plastic robots at the Hannover Messe.

The market for Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) is booming: The global market for mobile robotics, including service robotics, is currently worth around 20.3 billion US dollars, and experts expect it to almost double by 2028. 1 Mobile robots are particularly common in intralogistics and industrial applications. And even in the catering industry or in hospitals, the smart helpers are increasingly making their rounds. This is also the case at motion plastics specialist igus: For four years now, the plastics experts have been successfully testing AGVs in-house – driverless racks that deliver mail and deliveries to offices, as well as mobile robots in production that move transports and stack-and-turn containers. The experience gained flows directly into the development of a new low-cost automation product line, the „ReBeL on Wheels“. Their goal: to pave the way for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to use cost-effective mobile robotics.

Mobile ReBeL solutions for education, logistics and service
The basis of any mobile robotics system is the ReBeL. The use of plastic makes the robot particularly affordable at 4,970 euros and, with a dead weight of 8.2 kilograms, the lightest service robot with cobot function in its class. All mechanical components that make up the ReBeL are developed and manufactured by igus without exception. It has a load capacity of 2 kilograms and a reach of 664 millimetres. Various mobile systems are planned in which the ReBeL is centrally integrated: igus is launching an affordable version for the education sector for 14,699 euros – including the robot arm. The ReBeL EduMove equipped with a gripper serves as an autonomous learning platform for educational institutions thanks to open source. It has a modular design and can be flexibly expanded to include additional functions such as lidar, camera technology or slam algorithm. Another variant is an automated guided vehicle system for SMEs. It can carry up to 30 kilograms. With the optional ReBeL, simple A-to-B positioning can be made. It dispenses with expensive sensor technology and instead relies on 3D sensor technology developed in-house. The price is 17,999 euros. In addition, igus will be showcasing a study of a service robot at a low price in Hanover. The ReBeL Butler is suitable for simple but time-consuming pick-up and drop-off services, for example in the hotel and catering industry.

A lighthouse project on wheels
The goal of all these developments is the lighthouse project, a mobile robot with integrated HMI and vision that could even tidy up an office on its own. „With this project, we are pursuing a bottom-to-top strategy, in which certain components such as safety laser scanners are not included in the basic package in order to keep the price low,“ explains Alexander Mühlens, authorized signatory and head of the low-cost automation business unit at igus. „Nevertheless, it ensures that the solution can be retrofitted for industrial requirements.“ Among other things, igus is presenting an affordable gripper with a large stroke and travel this year, which offers a high degree of flexibility when gripping different geometries. Alexander Mühlens: „The areas of application for this targeted low-cost AMR are extremely diverse and go far beyond simple transport tasks. They encompass a huge range of applications in various areas of life, such as cleaning tasks or serving coffee directly at the workplace.“

Igus expands its portfolio around the ReBeL with a humanoid hand made of lubrication-free high-performance plastics

Cologne, November 14, 2023 – Robots have become an integral part of industry and are increasingly finding their way into small and medium-sized companies in the form of cobots, such as the ReBeL. They sort, pick and move with the help of cameras, vacuum cleaners and gripping systems. In order to be able to take on humanoid tasks, igus has now developed a finger gripper for the ReBeL cobot. It is made entirely of lubrication-free plastics, so it is very cost-effective and easy to integrate.

With the ReBeL, igus has launched a compact and lightweight cobot on the market that makes it possible to enter robotics at low cost. This makes it particularly suitable for assembly tasks, quality inspections and in the service sector.  In order for the robot to really work, grippers and suction cups are necessary. For this purpose, igus offers a wide selection of suitable end effectors from various manufacturers on the marketplace RBTX.com. „Since the ReBeL is very light and affordable with its own weight of around 8 kilograms and a price starting at 3,970 euros, it is widely used in humanoid applications. For this reason, we received a number of customer inquiries for a robotic hand that can be easily connected to the ReBeL via plug-and-play,“ explains Alexander Mühlens, Head of the Low Cost Automation business unit at igus GmbH. For this reason, igus has now developed a particularly cost-effective ReBeL finger gripper, which is available for as little as 1,840 euros. The humanoid hand is compatible with all ReBeL models. It is controlled via DIO at the Tool Center Point, which allows for easy integration and flexibility in various applications. The special feature of the finger gripper is that it can imitate human hand movements. „With the new low-cost hand, the ReBeL can take on a wide range of simple humanoid tasks and applications. We are thinking of the area of research and development at universities, but tasks in gastronomy or in the entertainment industry are also conceivable,“ says Alexander Mühlens.

High-performance plastics ensure precise movements
All components, including the flange, cables and control, come directly from igus in Cologne. In this way, the customer receives a 100 percent compatible solution. The low price is due to the lubrication-free high-performance plastics. The plain bearings in the joints made of iglidur polymers are not only cost-effective and lubrication-free, but also enable smooth and precise movements of the individual fingers. Extensive testing in the in-house 3,800 square meter laboratory guarantees the longevity of the humanoid hand. They are extremely flexible and can be controlled via various interfaces, including USB, TTL (5 V) serial and internal scripting. In addition to the finger gripper, igus offers other products for the ReBeL Environment. These include, for example, fireproof fire protection hoods, a 7th axis, gripper sets, adapter plate sets, energy supply systems, a finished workstation and connection cables.

fischertechnik Pneumatics controlling SMC Robot Gripper

fischertechnik Pneumatics controlling SMC Robot Gripper. Find the latest News on robots drones AI robotic toys and gadgets at robots-blog.com. Follow us on our Blog Instagram Facebook Twitter or our other sites. Share your robotics ideas and products with us. #robots #robot #omgrobots #roboter #robotic #mycollection #collector #robotsblog #collection #botsofinstagram #bot #robotics #robotik #gadget #gadgets #toy #toys #drone #robotsofinstagram #instabots #photooftheday #picoftheday #followforfollow #instadaily #fischertechnik #smc #pneumatic #gripper

SoftGripping expands its product line

SoftGripping, the internal robotic SoftGripper department of the logistic company Wegard GmbH has reached its market capitalization goal of 8 million Euro in the year 2020 and is now moving from the initial intent of establishing SoftGripping leadership in the cobot area towards the high-speed automation market. The internal project’s CTO and co-founder Alexey Stepanyuk is eager to tackle new areas with the industrial and hygienic line. “We focus on the needs of our customers and every development is custom to the application on hand” he emphasized in an interview, “our engineers know that solutions in food automation are as custom as the plants growing on the fields. There is a new evolutionary stage coming and we can’t wait to highlight it, although today’s robotics technology is far from perfect.” Let’s wait and see what the future brings!

Information about hygienic line grippers: https://soft-gripping.com/hygienic-softgripper/
Information about industrial line grippers: https://soft-gripping.com/industrial-softgripper/

GinoBot by Engino – Base model with Gripper

Today I built the base model with a gripper and sent my feedback to the developers. It’s already really great product but there are always things to tweak or make better. Do not miss to support it on Kickstarter!

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Hitbot announces the Kickstarter launch of Z-Arm: An affordable & easy to use four-axis collaborative robotic arm

The Hitbot Z-Arm brings incredible versatility and convenience to hobbyists, makers and manufacturers. This one of a kind robotic arm can perform any number of tasks including 3D printing, soldering, engraving and assembly guided by a unique and intuitive set of programming tools that anyone can use.    

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/62697072/z-arm-affordable-collaborative-robotic-arm-for-eve?lang=de

Never before has the convenience and versatility of a SCARA (Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm) been so accessible and user friendly. This type of advanced robotic arm uses a parallel axis joint layout which articulates in a similar way to a human arm, making it faster and more accurate than mechanical arms of previous generations.  

These incredible robotic arms have been used in the most advanced manufacturing facilities for sorting, circuit building and even automobile assembly. Now, with the release of the Hitbot Z-Arm, this powerful technology is available to hobbyists, makers, inventors and robotics enthusiasts. This programmable robotic arm can be anything from a personal assistant to a useful tool or dependable production line component. The Z-Arm will change the way people use technology and provide a completely new type of easily programmable robotic tool.   

Unlike the complex and expensive industrial robotic arms that inspired it, the Z-Arm is extremely easy to program for virtually any task. No special programming knowledge is necessary, making it simple for anyone to use. It uses an integrated driver and motion controller that can be programmed with an intuitive App using a simple graphical interface. It can even be manually programmed by moving the arm itself to create repeatable motions for different tasks. 

The list of applications that can be applied to the Z-Arm is endless. It can perform 3D printing, laser engraving, circuit board soldering and PCB assembly. It can play games, write, cut, perform repetitious actions or simply help out around the house as a personal assistant. It is even equipped with a camera for accurate visual identification, perfect for sorting and organizing. It handles objects of all types, even carefully gripping fragile items with ease.  

For more complex processes, multiple Z-Arms can be programmed to work together. Z-Arm can also work alongside humans with its safety-rated monitored stop, which stops the robot if a human enters its collaborative workspace. As a programmable robotic arm with high precision, its uses are only limited by the imagination.  

In terms of specifications the Z-Arm has an impressive list including 0.02mm Repeatability, a 400 mm Reach, and a front arm Rotation of 360 degrees. Add to that, a 430°/s Speed and a Payload capacity of up to 2kg which allows it to deliver industrial grade performance in a cost-effective manner. It is simply one of the most versatile robotic arms available today.   

 “Our group of designers and robotics experts wanted to encourage innovation by making the most affordable industrial-quality robotic arm that had intuitive tools which make it easy to use for novices. The Z-Arm is the culmination of our dream, a mechanical arm for the masses that will make the power of robotics accessible to everyone.” Jun Tian, CEO Hitbot LTD 

The team behind Hitbot are designers, developers and robotics experts who have years of experience in the field and a passion for creating powerful robotics for consumers. Their unique products are designed to make robotics easy for anyone to program and use.  

The Hitbot Z-Arm is being launched via Kickstarter campaign so the company can reward their community of early adopters with special deals and pricing.