Ghost Robotics unveils new Manipulator Arm for Vision 60 Q-UGV

Quadruped robotics company Ghost Robotics announced the launch of its Manipulator Arm for the Vision 60 Quadruped Unmanned Ground Vehicle (Q-UGV).

The company said that the Manipulator Arm expands the robot’s mission capabilities with precise, robust manipulation in the world’s harshest environments.

Vision 60 gets expanded movement capabilities

Designed as a lightweight, modular, top-mounted system, Ghost Robotics said the Manipulator Arm enables the Vision 60 to perform complex tasks - such as opening doors, retrieving objects, handling equipment and interacting with the environment - while maintaining the robot’s agility and mobility. The company added that the arm’s six degrees of freedom (DoF) and fully backdrivable design provide smooth, force-sensitive control that mirrors the durability of the robot’s legs.

“At Ghost Robotics, our mission is to keep people out of harm’s way,” said Gavin Kenneally, co-founder and CEO of Ghost Robotics. “We already build legged robots for some of the world’s most demanding customers operating in the toughest environments. Now, those same robots can manipulate the world around them - giving first responders, warfighters, and inspectors a safer and more capable platform for hazardous or hard-to-reach missions.”

Ghost Robotics said the Manipulator Arm extends the Vision 60’s utility across defense, EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), disaster response, inspection, manufacturing and other industrial missions where remotely operated manipulation is essential.

Ghost Robotics provided the following specifications for the Manipulator Arm:

• Full Extension: 1 meter (3.3 ft)
• Mass: 10.6 kg (23.4 lbs.)
• Gripping Force: 11.3 kg (25 lbs.)
• Payload: 3.75 kg (8.3 lbs.) at 50 cm (19.7 in), continuous
• Operating Temperature: –40 to 55 °C (–40 to 131 °F)
• IP67 (dust-tight, submersible up to 1 meter)

“The Vision 60 was built for the harshest terrain outside, but anyone in public safety or defense knows the toughest challenges are often inside the building,” Kenneally said. “With our new arm enabling door access, the robot is built for both worlds.”