HEBI has prior expertise with NASA, with initiatives resembling this “Superball” cellular robotic constructed with HEBI actuators. | Supply: HEBI Robotics
NASA has awarded HEBI Robotics with continued Small Enterprise Innovation Analysis (SBIR) funding. HEBI obtained a Part II contract to develop and take a look at actuation {hardware} designed to function in harsh house environments.
The 2-year, $850k undertaking undertaking contains constructing management electronics that work with the HEBI Robotics platform and third-party methods, serving to pace up the event of flight-ready actuation know-how for low Earth orbit (LEO) and geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) missions.
“HEBI’s long-term mission is to make it simple for any engineer to construct strong, professional-grade, robotic methods with out years of technical expertise or coaching,” stated Andrew Willig, director of {hardware} at HEBI Robotics. “Creating actuation know-how that may stand up to the tough atmosphere of house offers HEBI with an additional expanded modular {hardware} platform with a broader utility base. This enables the agile manufacturing of complicated robotic methods for house purposes that may in any other case require lengthy, multi-million-dollar endeavors.”
HEBI Robotics stated it offers versatile modulators for constructing customized robots rapidly and reliably. It offers “Lego-like” modular actuation {hardware} with software program designed to be intuitive for analysis labs and industrial groups worldwide.
The Carnegie Mellon College spinout stated its know-how can speed up improvement and help sensible automation in difficult environments. As an illustration, HEBI final yr developed modular constructing blocks for NASA.
HEBI gained a 2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for its “inchworm” household of robots.
NASA may use actuation for servicing satellites, building, and extra
NASA can use space-rated actuation {hardware} for a variety of purposes, together with robotic arms that deploy gear, photo voltaic panels, and extra, in addition to in house building. Ageing satellites require upkeep, whereas building of latest buildings in orbit, on the moon, and on Mars continues to be a subject of nationwide and worldwide significance.
Troublesome circumstances resembling ionizing radiation and the tough actuality of a vacuum, the place conventional lubricants utilized in gearing in any other case outgas, make the problem HEBI is taking up important. Gear, resembling robotic actuation and manipulators, is required to deal with objects and carry out duties, resembling in-space servicing, meeting, and upkeep (ISAM).
HEBI Robotics had beforehand demonstrated success with a NASA Part I SBIR contract associated to preliminary analysis and testing of actuators for house purposes. SBIR awards present authorities businesses with a strategy to diversify their know-how portfolios whereas supporting American companies with fewer than 500 staff. Part II SBIRs are solely chosen when Part I outcomes present robust technical outcomes with a excessive probability of business feasibility.
The advantages of the undertaking may transcend the direct scope of this SBIR work. It may additionally embrace the continued improvement of the NASA ARMADAS know-how. This can be a three way partnership with NASA, additionally involving HEBI Robotics, to develop autonomously-assembling supplies that construct infrastructure resembling habitat buildings, giant antenna arrays, and spaceports.
Terrestrial advantages of HEBI’s new know-how embrace operators within the nuclear inspection discipline, as radiation-hardened actuators are more and more required within the inspection and upkeep of nuclear websites, together with land or sea-based reactors.
The put up HEBI wins NASA SBIR to construct house robotic actuators appeared first on The Robotic Report.
