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Lightweight battery-powered aircraft are ready for take-off.
New Products Advance Robotics and Automation
John Sprovieri // Chief Editor
CONTACT
Austin
Lightweight battery-powered aircraft are ready for take-off.
Several recently introduced products illustrate the expanding role of robotics in modern manufacturing, from collaborative systems to heavy-duty automation and robotic tooling.
Igus has unveiled Iggy Rob, an affordable humanoid robot intended to support industrial production, service environments and internal transport. KUKA has expanded its heavy-duty robot portfolio with the KR TITAN ultra, engineered to handle extremely large components, such as battery packs and vehicle body modules. Effecto Group has introduced its Epsilon line of tool changers, designed to enable robots to quickly switch between end-effectors for tasks such as assembly, dispensing and welding. Meanwhile, Mantis Robotics has introduced the MR-1 cobot, a high-speed collaborative robot designed to operate safely alongside workers without safety fencing.
Together, these developments highlight how manufacturers continue to broaden the capabilities and accessibility of robotic automation on the factory floor.
Low-Cost Humanoid Robot for Industrial Applications
Iggy Rob is the first humanoid robot designed to support industrial production and service environments from igus. Standing approximately 1.7 meters tall, the robot can operate autonomously for up to eight hours on a single charge. It is equipped with two ReBeL cobot arms, bionic hands, lidar sensors and 3D cameras for object detection and navigation. Rather than using legs, the robot is mounted on the company’s ReBeL Move autonomous mobile robot platform, which supports a load capacity of 50 kilograms and a payload of up to 100 kilograms. The system runs on igus Robot Control software and integrates with ROS2 for compatibility with modern robotics systems.
igus
Heavy-Duty Industrial Robot for Large Component Handling
KUKA’s KR TITAN ultra expands the company’s heavy-duty robot portfolio with a system designed for demanding manufacturing environments. The robot offers a payload of up to 1,500 kilograms and a reach of up to 4,200 millimeters, enabling the handling of large components such as battery packs, automotive body modules and production tooling. A double link arm design provides stable kinematics and a high moment of inertia for improved precision when moving heavy loads. The robot’s modular architecture allows manufacturers to select models with different payload and reach combinations, while a foundry version enables operation in harsh environments that include heat, dust and moisture.
KUKA Robotics
Modular Robot Tool Changer for Flexible Automation
The Epsilon Tool Changer line from Effecto Group provides a strong and reliable method for robots to quickly switch between different tools and end-effectors. The modular system was designed as a comprehensive family of tool changers covering the full range of the company’s existing CXC, MXC and Sigma models, with capacities ranging from 10 to 2,331 kilograms. The design incorporates a cam-based locking mechanism, along with options for couple and uncouple sensing. A direct bolt configuration reduces the need for adaptor plates, simplifying integration. The tool changers support applications such as assembly, dispensing, material handling and welding.
Effecto Group
High-Speed Collaborative Robot With Advanced Safety
The MR-1 cobot from Mantis Robotics combines the speed of traditional industrial robots with the safety features required for collaborative operation. Certified to ISO 10218 and ISO 13849 standards, the robot uses integrated sensors to create a 360-degree safety zone around the machine. Real-time adaptive motion planning allows the robot to slow or stop when people approach while maintaining speeds of up to 10 meters per second when the workspace is clear. The cobot has a maximum payload of 5 kilograms, a reach of 900 millimeters and positional repeatability of ±0.03 millimeter. Artificial intelligence, a cloud-based digital twin and offline programming tools help manufacturers deploy the system quickly.
Mantis Robotics
