Agile Robots: Learnable robotics for research and industry
Agile Robots is showcasing robots for industry at the Hannover Messe. Agile One is designed to work autonomously and adapt to changing conditions.
Agile One sees, grasps, and packs at the Agile Robots trade fair stand.
(Image: André Kramer / heise medien)
Munich-based robotics company Agile Robots presented the development status of its humanoid robots at the Hannover Messe. This includes the life-sized Agile One, which perceives its surroundings and plans movements using artificial intelligence. It is designed to react flexibly to varying processes, for example in assembly or when handling sensitive objects.
Franka Robotics has been part of Agile Robots since 2023. A focus of Franka lies in "Physical AI", the connection of AI with real machines. Franka robots are used in both research and industry to give robots capabilities that were previously primarily reserved for humans: sensitive gripping, learning through experience, and safe operation in complex environments.
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Robots in Research
Franka Robotics demonstrates with an example at the trade fair how robots learn movements through artificial intelligence, grasp objects, and collaborate with humans. A platform with two robotic arms and grippers is intended to pick up tools and place them in a container. This required several attempts at the trade fair but ultimately led to success.
(Image: André Kramer / heise medien)
The robot receives commands via chat in Google Gemini. Using conventional cameras, the robot perceives the table surface and independently decides what to pick up and where. The Franka robot can measure the applied force. It senses how hard it is pressing or pulling. This allows it to perform sensitive tasks, such as inserting components or transporting fragile materials.
Google DeepMind, Meta, and the Toyota Research Institute, as well as Stanford and MIT universities, use Franka robots in connection with research projects, according to the manufacturer.
Industrial Applications
The robots' workplace is otherwise in industry. Robots from Agile Robots can load and unload machines, assemble electronic components with controlled force, test circuit boards, and package products. The ability to handle sensitive or varying parts is particularly important. Thanks to integrated force sensing, the robots can also work without precise pre-positioning.
And because the robots continuously scan their environment and adjust their movements accordingly, they are designed to work safely alongside humans. The elimination of protective cages or similar devices facilitates their use in existing production environments.
(akr)
