Canadian Robotic Hand Featured in International Competition

Robotiq, St-Nicolas, Que., a manufacturer of robotic tools, played a major role at the DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials, which took place in December.

Four of the 17 teams used the company’s 3-Finger Adaptive Robot Gripper, including a team that designed a robot capable of assisting humans in responding to natural and man-made disasters, such as at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

This competition is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Defense to develop new technologies and make new robotic breakthroughs. Through this challenge, teams design robots that will conduct humanitarian, disaster relief, and related operations.

“To be selected by well-renowned research teams from around the world to face this great challenge shows the quality and the flexibility of our products. All our company members are very proud of this,” said Samuel Bouchard, president of Robotiq.

Teams that used Robotiq’s gripper included Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the National Robotics Engineering Center of Carnegie Mellon University.

The December 2013 trials were the second stage of this competition. These trials determined which teams will continue to the final stage of the competition that will take place in December 2014, with one of the final teams winning a $2 million prize.