Winning robot gripper OnRobot inspired by nature

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OnRobot is the winner of the Robotics Award 2019, assigned during the Hannover Messe. The first prize, with a purse of 10.000 euro, went to the Gecko Gripper developed by the company, an innovative robotic solution designed to hold objects and inspired by nature.

The gripper is indeed modelled on structures found in certain reptiles, such as geckos, and employs millions of microscopically fine hairs that create so-called Van Der Walls forces when they contact smooth surfaces. The result is a strong adhesion and anti-shearing force, without the need to use any power for the purpose. The object is then released by simply tilting the gripper surfaces.

The second prize of the Robotics contest was awarded to a joint project by forwardttc and Kuka, involving a low-cost charging assistant for electric vehicles (both private and commercial). The automatic charging process is initiated via a remote control or an app, and the charger is compatible with all electronic passenger vehicles, with a process that can even be adapted for other innovative fuels such as hydrogen.

Third prize was awarded to Maskor, the Institute for Mobile Autonomous Systems and Cognitive Robotics at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences, for its autonomous field robot Etarob, aimed to facilitate cost-effective weed management in vegetable production. In contrast to conventional systems the Etarob can navigate freely in an unstructured environment, avoiding obstacles and removing weeds by their roots.

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