Automatica Insights, Impulses, Innovations in Munich

Source: Press release | Translated by AI 10 min Reading Time

Related Vendors

On June 24, 2025, the gates of the Munich exhibition grounds will open for Automatica. "Insights, impulses, innovations" is the theme of the leading trade fair for intelligent automation and robotics. The exhibitors are sure to attract attention with a wide range of new products. Here are some of the highlights from the field of drive technology.

Nabtesco Precision Europe co-developed six electromechanical drives for the active exoskeleton of the RISE student project at TU Berlin.(Image: Mathis Bernhard, Rise, ETH Zurich / Cybathlon)
Nabtesco Precision Europe co-developed six electromechanical drives for the active exoskeleton of the RISE student project at TU Berlin.
(Image: Mathis Bernhard, Rise, ETH Zurich / Cybathlon)

Innovative Actuators for Active Exoskeletons

Nabtesco Precision Europe GmbH specializes in precision gears, including robot gears. For the active exoskeleton of the student project Rise (Research and innovation in student exoskeleton development) at TU Berlin, the company has co-developed six actuators at the Limburg (Germany, Ovalo GmbH) site that help to make hips and knees mobile. The exoskeleton from the Rise project can be seen live in Hall B6, Stand 311.

Exoskeletons are mechanical assistance systems that are worn directly on the body and support human movements or even make them possible in the first place. They are used in sectors such as industry, logistics, trade and healthcare and are used in medical rehabilitation and workplace ergonomics, among others. A distinction is made between passive (purely mechanical), active (motor-assisted) and hybrid approaches. However, replicating a humanoid movement apparatus at the highest level is a real challenge—and can only be achieved with truly backlash-free and compact gearboxes.

Nabtesco Precision Europe has co-developed three actuators per side of the body at its Limburg (Germany, Ovalo GmbH) site: two on the hip (1x flexion/extension and 1x abduction/adduction) and one on the knee (flexion/extension). A total of three actuator types in two different designs (knee/hip) and several ratios are used. The main focus here was on availability (the development time for the entire exoskeleton was just 2 years), reducing the development and design effort on the part of the students and minimizing mass and volume.

The electromechanical actuators consist of a shaft gearbox, electric motor and position sensors and offer high performance with minimal space requirements. At the heart of the actuators are the shaft gearboxes. These compact, backdrivable precision gears are manufactured to automotive standards and are characterized by absolute zero backlash, high efficiency, high torque density and high overload protection. They are also maintenance-free over their entire service life and score points with their low mass inertia, low weight and low operating noise. The result is dynamic, precisely executed movements with maximum safety.

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