Sarcos Subsidiary RE2, LLC Achieves Technical Milestone with Dexterous Underwater Robotic Gripper for U.S. Navy
Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation (NASDAQ: STRC, STRCW) has achieved a key milestone with its STARFISH project, an underwater end-of-arm tooling designed for U.S. Navy mine countermeasures and explosive ordnance disposal. The STARFISH gripper, funded by the Office of Naval Research, demonstrated its ability to grasp and hold various objects during lab testing. The technology, developed in collaboration with UCLA and the University of Washington, enhances robotic perception with tactile feedback, enabling underwater operations in hazardous environments. Further testing will take place on a ROV.
- Achievement of a significant technical milestone with the STARFISH underwater gripper.
- Successful lab tests demonstrating the gripper's ability to perform fine- and large-gripping tasks.
- Enhancement of underwater robotics capabilities for military and commercial applications.
- None.
The Company bolsters its End-of-Arm Tooling capabilities with tactile feedback for underwater manipulation
During lab testing, the STARFISH prototype used three tactile-sensing fingers to successfully achieve a variety of fine- and large-gripping skills, including squeezing a pair of tweezers and grasping larger objects. Each finger conforms to the shape it is grasping, enabling it to securely hold objects upon contact.
The Company is developing this technology with professors Dr.
“When visual feedback is limited, complementary senses such as touch play a critical role in completing dexterous tasks,” explains Santos. “This is true for humans as well as for robots remotely controlled by humans. Tactile sensation will enhance the teleoperation and semi-autonomous control of underwater robot hands for difficult manual tasks.”
“STARFISH uses advanced touch sensors and next-generation haptic feedback to provide robot operators with the last link in terms of robotic perception capabilities—the ability to ‘feel’ objects in the environment,” said Dr.
The gripper uses an advanced array of visual and underwater sensors to orient itself to its environment. It will operate in hazardous underwater environments that would typically damage end effectors, including turbidity, ocean swells, and other dynamic underwater conditions. Data collected from the hand’s interactions within the environment will be sent back to the operator control unit (OCU), allowing the operator to perform complex manipulation tasks from a remote location.
“STARFISH significantly advances the capabilities of underwater robotics across a variety of military and commercial applications,” said
During the next phase of the project, the STARFISH grippers will be attached to Sapien Sea Class underwater arms, which will then be mounted on an underwater ROV and tested in a subsea environment.
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