Schilling Robotics has unveiled a breakthrough new manipulator arm, the ATLAS 7R Dexterous Grabber. The seven-function dexterous grabber is destined to set a new standard for reliability and capability. Offering an elbow joint that replaces the 'extend-retract' maneuver of a five-function grabber, it adds two degrees of freedom, making it a premium option for performing complex tasks. The extended range of motion allows the gripper to access targets from acute angles.

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-inches compared to 54-inches 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 enhancements to customer productivity are proven in extremely heavy-lift work encountered during anchor handling operations. ATLAS has the strength and dexterity to manipulate mooring connectors, where other manipulators would either be unable to lift the load or fail due to overstress. It is also optimized for construction work such as manipulating saws and grinders, and to position the tools accurately and repeatedly. Its dexterity makes it very effective at rigging operations, where it’s slender profile allows unobstructed views of the tooling during complex and precise movements," said Tim Ranstrom, manipulator product manager for Schilling Robotics

Tags: Schilling Robotics