Sense of touch for lightweight robots

Ákos Dömötör, CEO and co-founder of OptoForce

The Hungarian company OptoForce announces its entry into the German market and aims to give industrial robots in the German-speaking region a sense of touch with its six-axis force-torque sensor HEX-70-XE. The sensor offers companies new perspectives in the industrial automation of complex workflows. It is mainly used for sensitive materials or in unstructured production environments – where human fingertip sensitivity was previously necessary.

The global automation industry is on a growth trajectory. However, where robot arms encountered unstructured environments, automation reached its limits – at least until now. OptoForce, a young company from Budapest, now wants to change this. "As robots work more closely with humans, they need to perceive their environment accurately and increasingly perform tasks that require the dexterity of a human hand," says Ákos Dömötör, CEO and co-founder of OptoForce. "Our goal is to equip robots with exactly this sense of touch." With six-axis force-torque sensors, the Budapest-based company now aims to give lightweight industrial robots in the German-speaking region a sense of touch and open up new perspectives in industrial automation.

Expanded automation possibilities

"Robots equipped with sensors from OptoForce can detect whether they have placed an object correctly or need to readjust," explains Ákos Dömötör. "If necessary, they automatically correct their path. This makes entirely new areas of automation possible. At the same time, the sensors also reduce the error rate of existing applications. This accelerates the production process and saves costs." The application possibilities are diverse; especially in fine assembly, surface treatment, and process force monitoring, the sensors provide end users with a tangible added value. A special feature of OptoForce sensors is that the software necessary for different applications is included right from the start. For example, the center point detection of objects, polishing applications, or precise path recording of the robot arm can be set up within minutes. The hardware, on the other hand, is characterized by its robustness and high resolution of 0.1N or 0.001Nm. Weighing only 200 grams, the sensors are truly lightweight. Currently, they are compatible with the robot models from Universal Robots and KUKA, and in the near future, also with models from ABB and Yaskawa.

German sales network under development

In the coming months, OptoForce plans to further expand its sales network in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Strategic partnerships with system integrators and distributors in the robotics and automation sector are to be established. First collaborations in this area have already been agreed upon, such as with WMV Robotics: "Our goal is to make automation technology accessible to everyone," says Torsten Woyke, Managing Director of WMV Robotics. "In this regard, OptoForce's force-torque sensors fit perfectly into our portfolio. They transform our customers' complex challenges into easy-to-handle plug-and-play solutions. This allows us to help small and medium-sized enterprises automate entirely new areas of tasks."

Resonance at Hannover Messe

This year's Hannover Messe featured an exhibition stand from OptoForce. "Most industrial companies are already aware that only through automation can they achieve the efficiency and flexibility required to remain competitive today," says Ákos Dömötör. "Many are surprised at how extensive the possibilities of automation actually are – especially in the area of more complex work steps. Accordingly, our force-torque sensor has attracted great interest from visitors, and we can draw an excellent conclusion from the fair."