OnRobot – 机器人研究与发展

OnRobot Digital I/O Converter

OnRobot has launched a Digital I/O converter that enables its RG2, RG6, Gecko, and VG10 grippers to seamlessly integrate with a wider range of collaborative robot arms. The Digital I/O Converter enables the cobot arms to work with the OnRobot grippers with minimal need for programming, resulting in faster switch times between multiple tasks.

OnRobot said this leads to an increase in production as the cobots can get back to work faster. OnRobot said the Digital I/O Converter works with the following brands and cobot arms:

OnRobot

Of course, OnRobot also supports Universal Robots, the leading collaborative robotics company in the world. OnRobot’s RG2, RG6 and VG10 are part of the UR+ program. OnRobot’s HEX Force/Torque sensing package is also part of the UR+ program.

As different cobot arms understand I/O signals differently, OnRobot said the I/O Converter is able to convert NPN to PNP signals and vice versa. What does that mean for the robot operator? PNP sensors, sometimes known as “sourcing sensors” because they source positive power to the output, and NPN sensors, oftentimes called “sinking sensors” because they sink the ground to the output, are the technical terms for the type of transistor used to switch the output.

With the I/O converter, programmers don’t have to worry about the robots not understanding the signals received. The Digital I/O Converter also includes an adapter plate for converting the UR-type A flanges mechanically to other robot flanges.

The Digital I/O converter can be ordered at local sales offices. Additional information, datasheets, and manuals detailing mounting, cable routing, software configurations, and electrical connection can be downloaded here.

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Established in 2015, OnRobot merged with Perception Robotics and OptoForce in 2018, followed by the acquisition of Purple Robotics. Purple Robotics was launched in 2017 by three former Universal Robots (UR) employees with 18-plus years experience working on the UR3, UR5, and UR10 cobots. Co-founders Lasse Kieffer, Henrik Tillitz Hansen, and Peter Nadolny Madsen, who describe themselves as “three Danish super-nerds,” found 40 partners in 25 countries just three months after launching the PR10.

OnRobot kicked off 2019 by shipping pre-orders of its Gecko Gripper that uses millions of micro-scaled fibrillar stalks that adhere to a surface using powerful van der Waals forces — the same way that geckos climb.

The post OnRobot grippers support more cobots with new I/O converter appeared first on The Robot Report.

OnRobot, a global leader in end-of-arm tooling for collaborative robots, announced today it will be co-exhibiting next month with Futura Automation at the ATX West show, in Anaheim, Calif., February 5 to 7. OnRobot kicked off the new year by shipping pre-orders of its newly-available Gecko Gripper, that uses millions of micro-scaled fibrillar stalks that adhere to a surface using powerful van der Waals forces — the same way that geckos climb.

Unique new gripper offers cost-efficient alternative to vacuum solutions, replacing compressed air with tactile technology that adhere to surfaces the same way geckos climb. OnRobot will also exhibit the new RG2-FT gripper, the first intelligent gripper to see and feel objects using built-in force/torque sensing.

On display for the first time at the ATX Show, the Gecko Gripper lets robots pick up flat, smooth objects with significant energy savings over existing grippers such as vacuum grippers, which need compressed air that is costly, power-intensive, and bulky. The Gecko Gripper interfaces with any type of robot and can pay for itself in eight months in cost savings for electricity to compress air alone. Now being sold to manufacturing companies worldwide, the Gecko Grippers can affix to a wide range of surfaces including fragile items that vacuum grippers can’t handle. The Gecko Gripper also offers competitive advantages over electrostatic grippers, which are weaker and need high-voltage systems to operate.

Based on the nimble gecko lizards native to the Southern Hemisphere, in its initial design the Gecko Gripper progressed from a Stanford research project to the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab to industry through multiple collaborations. The original NASA use-case was for salvaging and repairing satellites such as solar panels, given the Gecko Gripper’s unique ability to operate in a vacuum. Perception Robotics created the first industrial grippers with new polymer research that increased gripping strength by 5X. Perception was then acquired by OnRobot, which is dedicated to developing and commercializing innovation that helps manufacturers take full advantage of collaborative robotics.

“The market reaction to the Gecko Gripper has been extremely positive,” says Kristian Hulgard, OnRobot’s General Manager for Americas. “We see the gripper now challenging traditional application and material handling design in a wide range of delicate tasks such as picking up porous and fragile objects like PCB boards,” says Hulgard, explaining that the Gecko Gripper excels at picking up objects with holes that vacuum grippers can’t address as they lose suction when air passes through openings in the object.

In addition to the Gecko Gripper, OnRobot will have its RG2-FT on display at ATX, a new gripper now generally available to manufacturers around the world. An update to OnRobot’s first edition, the RG2-FT now has built-in force/torque sensing, supporting work in piece detection and centering. With inbuilt 6 axis F/T and proximity laser sensors at the fingertips, the RG2-FT is the first intelligent gripper on the market that can see and feel objects, thus ensuring faster deployment of collaborative applications and ultimately higher productivity.

“The RG2-FT gripper is a sophisticated—yet entirely accessible—new piece of technology that manufacturers with tasks such as assembly, insertion, and quality inspection are now requesting,” says Hulgard. “The intelligent force feedback provided by the gripper’s sensors will also help operators in adjusting their applications for optimal design and positioning.” OnRobot products come in North America through a rapidly expanding partner network.

Established in 2015, the company merged with Perception Robotics and OptoForce in 2018, followed by a recent acquisition of Purple Robotics. Now, the OnRobot product range features a wide assortment of robot equipment, including: electric grippers, force/torque sensors, gecko grippers, and tool changers. This new combination of offerings from OnRobot makes it quicker and simpler to automate tasks such as packaging, quality control, materials handling, machine operation, assembly, and welding. The company plans to grow through more acquisitions in the coming years. Headquartered in Odense, Denmark, OnRobot’s North American office is located in Dallas, TX. The company also has offices in Germany, China, Malaysia, and Hungary. For more information, visit www.onrobot.com.

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