ANYbotics develops next generation of robots

ANYbotics developed ANYmal C “from the feet up based on industry requirements”, according to a press release announcing ANYmal C’s debut at the World Robotic Conference in Beijing. Like its predecessors, ANYmal C can be used for autonomous routine inspections in industrial environments. However, the next generation robot integrates several new functions and features.

The powerful torque-controllable actuators allow the robot to climb stairs and take a strain of over one million cycles, while advanced processors deliver the computation power for real-time mapping and autonomous navigation. The built-in cameras provide a 360-degree high precision view of the robot’s environment, and integrated wide-angle cameras are used to simplify teleoperation. All of these features are enclosed in water- and dust-proof design.

According to the press release, ANYmal C can carry a payload of up to 10 kilograms. What’s more, it can operate on a single battery charge for two hours, after which it autonomously connects to a docking station for recharging.

Industrial plants often have areas that are difficult to reach, and therefore difficult and perhaps even dangerous to inspect. This is why autonomous robots have the potential to “fundamentally change the inspection strategy of operators”, writes ANYbotics.

The Greater Zurich Area manufacturer is a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, which is where ANYmal was originally conceived.