Tag Archives: actuators

Who knew Origami and Robotics were a match made in heaven!?

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With two very unlikely reference points, origami and robotic actuators, Arnav Wagh’s robots mimic the dexterity of human hands, but actuated through hydraulic or pneumatic pumps. Developed as an experimentation in ‘soft robotics’, FLXO’s applications go far and wide. Using clever origami folding and readily available parts like actuators and pumps, FLXO helps democratize robotics, allowing people to experiment and tinker with the technology without relying on expensive machines and fabricated parts.

Wagh developed FLXO to be a budget-friendly yet effective way to work with soft robotics, and designed a system around it that allows you to quite easily put together your own robot in minutes. At the heart of FLXO are the different types of actuators, and their innovative origami sleeves that enable their unique movement. Whether you need components that bend, twist, or compress and expand in a linear path, FLXO’s 3D printed sleeves achieve all the aforementioned movements, and the actuators (which are compatible with VeX robotics kits) are designed to be modular, and can easily be assembled together to make anything from a human hand to a walking toy.

Still in its infancy, Wagh believes soft robotics is a exciting and emerging field, but still lacks universal accessibility. Designed to be as ubiquitous as LEGO, FLXO aims to bring soft robotics and its cornucopia of possibilities to anyone who wants to build robots that aren’t rigid in their design and approach, but are more organic and highly adaptive to their surroundings.

Designer: Arnav Wagh

The ‘Smartians’ actuators turn all your products into smart-products!

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The struggle with getting out of bed just to turn the light-switch off is real. We’ve strived hard to make things infinitely easier, but some tactile experiences haven’t changed. Switching a lamp on, turning a volume knob up or down, or opening the curtains… they all require manual work for people who don’t have butlers or smart-homes. Born out of necessity (or sheer laziness and genius combined), the Smartians actuators by Frolic Studio help turn these physical experiences into digital ones. The tiny actuators come with a base, a smart hub, and a wide variety of attachments that can perform actions like pulling, pushing, twisting, rotating, releasing, etc. Use your ingenuity and a combination of these attachments to turn regular, tactile experiences around your house into smart ones. The Smartians can turn lights on or off, rotate the dial on the thermostat, put the kettle on, or even water your plants (this one’s pure genius, and a personal favorite!). You can communicate with individual actuators using the app (this works especially well for calibrated controls like a volume knob) or set up the Smartians to run using IFTTT or voice commands so you can instantly open your blinds by just simply telling Google Home or Alexa to do so!

The Smartians are currently a functioning proof-of-concept (which works well for me, because I’d never get out of bed otherwise) with plans to roll out in the future, because the guys at Frolic Studio believe that old products shouldn’t be thrown out because they aren’t IoT connected… a reason that’s definitely much nobler than my appeal to humanity’s need to be lazy!

Designer: Frolic Studio

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What To Use Microlinear Actuators For

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The following is a featured article. -Ed.

Linear actuators websites are critical for students taking a technology course. Micro linear actuators can be used for different purposes and in a variety of projects. Straight motion applications require the incorporation of the use of micro linear actuators. There has also been an increased popularity in home automation and other applications that require the use of linear actuators.

According to http://www.actuatorzone.com, robotics is one of the projects that use linear actuators as a key component in making the robotic arms and other industrial application function. It is employed in the movement of virtual parts of the robot such as hands, neck, and legs.

Micro linear actuators can also be used in the development of RC vehicles. This area has grown drastically in the past. Experienced hobbyists are finding more precise and easier ways to automate while new hobbyists are looking for RC projects to make. The use of micro linear actuators can take an art installation or project design from interesting to spectacular giving it special attention. This shift is done by making part of conception appear to come alive.

Vehicle and home automation are also made possible using linear actuators. They are used to make Christmas and Halloween holiday decorations and for entertainment. Apart from that, projects like automated jewelry or toy boxes, hidden shelf compartments and moving artwork use the some working. Also, business and industries make electronic products for the consumers who are mechanically savvy to do their automation projects. Many users who like working on DIY projects can do it more efficiently with the use of this ready-made items.

It is clear that micro linear actuators have a lot of uses in the society. Many products incorporate the use of micro linear actuators in their production and usage. They are part of people’s day-to-day life.

Rethink delivers Baxter the friendly worker robot, prepares us for our future metal overlords (video)

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Rethink delivers Baxter the friendly worker robot, prepares us for our future metal overlords video

No one would characterize existing factory robots as especially warm and fuzzy: they're usually disembodied limbs that are more likely to cut you than hug you. Rethink Robotics wants to put a friendly face on those machines, both figuratively and literally. Its about-to-ship Baxter worker robot carries a touchscreen face that's as much about communicating its intent as giving humans something more relatable. Likewise, it's designed to be easily programmed by its organic coworkers and react appropriately -- you guide Baxter by one of its two arms to tell it what to do, and its combination of cameras and a quad-core processor let it adapt to real-world imperfections. Even the series elastic actuators in its arms give it a softer, subtler movement that's less likely to damage products or people. While Baxter isn't as ruthlessly quick as most of its peers, the relatively low $22,000 price and promise of an SDK for its Linux brain in 2013 should make it easier to accept than the six-digit costs and closed platforms of alternatives. We just hope we're not being lulled into a false sense of security as lovable robots invade our manufacturing base ahead of the inevitable Robopocalypse.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Rethink delivers Baxter the friendly worker robot, prepares us for our future metal overlords (video)

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Rethink delivers Baxter the friendly worker robot, prepares us for our future metal overlords (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 03:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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