Dexterous Grabber Manipulator

04/05/2009

Schilling Robotics have unveiled a manipulator arm, the ATLAS 7R Dexterous Grabber. The seven-function dexterous grabber is offering an elbow joint that replaces the ‘extend-retract' maneuver of a five-function grabber, it adds two degrees of freedom, making it an option for performing complex tasks. The extended range of motion allows the gripper to access targets from acute angles.

Dexterous Grabber Manipulator of Schilling Robotics

In addition to dexterity, its lift-to-weight ratio is among the strongest in the industry. ATLAS weighs only 5 kg more than Schilling's current grabber, the RigMaster, yet lifts 250 kg of weight at its full extension of 65" compared to 54" for the RigMaster. The additional joints allow it to withstand extreme loads through an overpressure protection feature in the valve manifold allowing the joints to absorb forces in two additional planes.

The grabber has been undergoing field trials since December, which have proven that Schilling's attention to kinematics, finite element analysis, and reliability are paying huge dividends in customer productivity.

The ATLAS has its debut at the Offshore Technology Conference, from 4 to 7 May 2009, in Houston (TX, USA).