The DARPA Robotics Challenge is coming up real fast and we are getting very excited to see how much the teams have improved over the last year or so. Since we have a lot of product that will be one of the essential pieces of the equation during this challenge, we decided to pop down to California to watch what will be going on in real time and to offer a bit of support to the teams.
Since there will be a total of 8 teams using our Gripper and considering the fact that the robots will not be allowed to be supported by any kind of tethers or cables (which means they will potentially fall…ouch!) we thought we would provide some emergency support for the teams.We will bring a couple of 3-Finger Adaptive Grippers, as well as replacement parts.
Étienne and Louis-Alexis (I know French names are hard to pronounce, but you can speak to them in English, no problem) will be there to help you and would love to have your feedback on your experience with our Grippers. Étienne is part of the DRC support crew and has extensive experience in product assembly, so he will be able to help you on the technical side of things. Louis-Alexis went to the 2013 DARPA Robotics Challenge to establish a better idea of the functionality of the Robotiq hand in hazardous situations. He will be able to help you with more fundamental aspects of the Gripper. Be sure to give him your feedback on the Gripper, it is always valuable to have input, both positive and negative, for the R&D team.
We will be presenting a demo using a Universal Robots, a 3-Finger Adaptive Gripper and an FT 150 Force Torque Sensor at booth 15 in the exhibition area. This demo is geared to highlighting the potential of the FT sensor and the flexibility of the 3-Finger Gripper. If you are at the Challenge, come and see for yourself.
Of course we will be showing off the rest of our product line. Our different Adaptive Robot Grippers and our Force Torque sensor will be available so that you can evaluate how they work. Also the Robotiq crew will be present to answer any questions and explain the different concepts behind our products.
To have a list of the teams that will be using our Grippers at the competition, follow this link. Just a reminder that the DARPA Robotic Challenge will be held in Pomona, CA from June 5-6 2015. We will try to pass along fast feedback on the competition as soon as we get news from our crew at the venue. And we wish all the teams smooth communications, coordinated manipulation, and no bonks or bruises. May all robots score!
If you want more information on the potential of the 3-Finger Adaptive Gripper and what types of applications have actually been put together using it, drag your cursor to the big colored button below and, click. A bunch of different applications have been listed and explained.