Project

A wrist-mounted correction module bringing industrial precision to humanoid robots.

An ETH Zurich Focus Project

A Focus Project is a two-semester team project at ETH Zurich's Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), in which students develop a functional prototype – from the first concept to testing.

More about Focus Projects

At the Advanced Manufacturing Lab

As part of the Advanced Manufacturing Lab (am|z), the team has access to state-of-the-art tools, manufacturing technologies and infrastructure.

Challenge

Why now

Humanoid robots are becoming affordable and are starting to appear in industrial environments. Companies have already shown humanoids welding in real workshops – but remotely operated and without reported accuracy. Calibration alone improves a humanoid’s accuracy to a few millimetres, still far from what welding and other manufacturing tasks demand.

Industry already knows the solution: combine a coarse robot with a fast, precise correction module at the tool. But these systems are built for large industrial robots – not for the reach, weight and balance of a humanoid.

That is the gap Akribis addresses.

Sources
  1. Persona AI – humanoid welding demo
  2. Tenhumberg & Bäuml (2021) – humanoid calibration
  3. ADMAS – robot with hexapod correction (PI / Fraunhofer IFAM / Airbus)

Think 1 mm is easy?

Take the tool, follow the seam, and see how close you get.

Try the challenge

Project

Coarse from the robot, fine from the tool

Idea

The humanoid provides reach, workspace and flexibility. Our correction module, mounted at its wrist, compensates the remaining error directly at the tool – fast, stiff and lightweight. The humanoid gets close. Akribis gets it right.

  1. MacroHumanoidReach, coarse positioning
  2. MicroAkribisCorrection
  3. ProcessTool

What we build

We are developing a compact correction module and the control system that coordinates it with the humanoid.

Goal

Precise robotic welding with humanoid robots.

Target

< 1 mmover 200 mm of travel

Positioning accuracy of the tool relative to the workpiece (target)

Our path

We validate our correction module step by step: first on a stiff test rig, then on an industrial robot, finally on the humanoid – starting with cold deposition processes such as adhesive dispensing, before moving on to welding.

  1. Stiff test rig
  2. Industrial robot
  3. Humanoid robot

Impact

  • Safer work

    Humanoids equipped with precise tools could take over dangerous welding tasks involving fumes, heat and awkward positions.

  • More flexible production

    One generic humanoid for many tasks instead of a dedicated machine for every job.