Best Robotic Arms For Laboratories
Robotic arms are a great, relatively budget friendly (some more than others) automation addition to a laboratory. Performing general tasks or specific arms to carry out particular operations.
Rethink Robotics Sawyer Black Edition
Developed and produced by Rethink robotics, the creators of its predecessor Baxter the Robot, the Sawyer is a “cobot” which is quieter, more durable and higher quality than the much loved Baxter. With 7 degrees of freedom and a range of 1260mm Rethink claim it makes this robot suitable for places where humans are unable to work.
The Intera software package is easy to use and allows immediate deployment to the lab setting. Along with it’s camera system and force sensing capabilities its allows this robot to make adaptive decisions while carrying out tasks.
Here is some product specifications from rethink:
Reach 1260 mm
Payload 4 kg
Task Repeatability 0.1 mm
Max Tool Speed 2 m/sec
Typical Task Tool Speed 1 m/sec
DOF 7
Operating Temperature 0oC – 40oC, 80% Relative Humidity
Robot Weight 19 kg
Power Consumption 700 watts
Power Requirements 100-240 VAC, 47-63 Hz, 4A Max
Joint Ranges J0 – J5: 350 degrees, J6: 540 degrees
I/O Ports (Controller) 8 digital in / 8 digital out
I/O Power 24 volts, 2 amps
I/O End of Arm 4 digital in / 2 digital out / 2 analog in (enabled summer 2016)
Source: rethink robtics
Estimated cost : $34,900
Franka Emika Panda Arm
Developed and manufactured in Germany and equipped with a workflow-based and intuitive interaction software package this is a 7axis robotic arm with plenty of potential for automating lab based practices.
This robot is available in a research package which allows interface with other equipment and sensors. Equip this arm to a mobile platform and this robot becomes mobile!
Technical Specifications:
- Parallel gripper: with exchangeable fingers
- Grasping force:
- Continuous force: 70 N
- Maximum force: 140 N
- Traversing speed:
- 80 mm (50 mm/s per finger)
- Weight: ~0.7 kg
Niryo Ned Robotic Arm
A more budget friendly educational marketed robotic arm for those getting to grips (excuse the pun) with robotic arm implementation.
“Discover Ned, our new 6-axis collaborative robot based on open-source technologies designed for Education, Vocational Training and Research.
At Niryo, we want to democratize robotics.
With the Niryo One, many schools have been able to offer their students to learn Robotics and industry 4.0 directly with a 6-axis robot, open-source and similar in design to industrial robots. The Niryo One is also used in many Research & Development laboratories to test new uses of collaborative robotics.
Meet now its successor, Ned, which has many improvements.” -Niryo
Technical Specifications:
Technical specifications
| Number of axis | 6 |
| Weight | 6,5 kg |
| Payload | 300 g |
| Max Reach | 440 mm |
| Precision | 0,5 mm* |
| Repeatability | 0,5 mm* |
| Power Supply | 11.1 Volts / 6A |
| Communication | Ethernet 1 Gb/s WIFI 2,4GHz & 5GHz – 802.11 g/g/n/ac – (~31 dBm, <80dBm) Bluetooth 5.0 BLE USB |
| Interface/Programming | Windows/MacOS/Linux (desktop application) & APIs |
| Power consumption | ~ 60 W |
| Materials | Aluminum, PLA (3D printing) |
| Ports | 1 Ethernet + 2 USB 3.0 + 2 USB 2.0 |
| Hardware | Raspberry pi 4 + 3 x NiryoSteppers + 2 x Dynamixel XL – 430 + 1 x Dynamixel XL – 320 |
| Collision detection sensor | Magnetic sensor (on motor) |
*Ned is a robot primarily made for educational purposes, and testing of small assembly lines. We do not guarantee any precision and robustness over time for your application.
Source: Niryo
Estimated Cost: $2999.00
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