How a Toothless Gearbox May be a Breakthrough for Robot Accuracy

Typical industrial robots have accuracies of ±0.1 mm, with some models capable of even higher accuracy. Gear backlash can reduce this accuracy in robots and other precision servomotors, such as in CNC machinery. However, machining gears with minimal backlash is costly. A new drive, developed by Dutch startup IMSystems, could provide a more cost-effective option for these applications. The new drive essentially replaces the gears in an epicyclic or planetary gear train with smooth frictional rollers. IMSystems and its Archimedes Drive recently won first place in the Automate 2019 Launch Pad Pitch Competition, winning $10,000 in prize money. IMSystems was one of seven startups selected to pitch their product to a judging capital made up of executives from the robotics industry and the world of venture capital.