Elephant Robotics launches myBuddy, a robot with two arms and multiple capabilities

Elephant Robotics launches myBuddy, a robot with two arms and multiple capabilities

Shenzhen, 17 AUG 2022

In July 2022, Elephant Robotics launched myBuddy – a humanoid collaborative robot with two arms and 13 axes, powered by a Raspberry Pi and offering numerous capabilities.

Elephant Robotics specializes in the research and development, manufacturing and production of collaborative robots such as myCobot, mechArm, myPalletizer and myAGV. In 2020, when the team realized that the need for robotics applications was increasing, they decided to produce a robot with multiple functions that could meet more requirements. To develop more functions, at least three additional control chips were required, which made production more than 300 percent more expensive compared to myCobot, a 6-axis collaborative robot (Cobot). The biggest problem was to produce a robot with multiple functions at an affordable and reasonable price.

After more than two years of continuous efforts, Elephant Robotics improved the myCobot series and transferred it to the new myBuddy cobot- The product design of myBuddy is based on the myCobot series, which combines rounded corners. A robot at an affordable price makes the development of two-arm cobot applications no longer a problem.

Compact size with more flexibility

The working radius of a single arm of myBuddy is 280 millimeters, and the maximum payload is 250 grams. It is lightweight and flexible, with 13 degrees of freedom. The built-in axis in myBuddy’s torso improves the working range by more than 400 percent compared to myCobot’s single robotic arm, allowing it to perform more complicated tasks such as kinematics exercises and AI recognition.

Independent open source support for secondary development.

There are more than 100 API interfaces that can be used, and myBuddy’s lower control interfaces are open. The potential value, angles, coordinates, walking speeds and other interfaces can be freely controlled, so users can master the application research of two-armed robots, motion path planning, action development and visual recognition. On the hardware interface, myBuddy offers a variety of input and output interfaces, including HDMI, USB, Grove, 3.3V IO, LEGO, RJ45 interface and more.

The software supports multiple programming environments. myBlockly, a visual tool with multiple built-in robot use cases for graphical programming, is easy for users to use Users can also control myBuddy in Python and set the joint angle and robot coordinates, as well as retrieve the velocity position in real time (response time up to 20 milliseconds). In addition, myBuddy supports the simulation development environment ROS. With the integrated ROS environment, users can develop algorithms for robot motion planning, interference avoidance algorithms between two arms, robot vision learning, and other artificial intelligence applications.

Deep Learning in Robot Vision & VR Control.

myBuddy features a 7-inch interactive screen, two 2-million-pixel HD cameras, and more than 20 built-in dynamic facial expressions. Users can use myBuddy to conduct scientific research in human-robot interaction, robot vision, robotics learning, artificial intelligence, action planning, mechatronics, manufacturing, and automation. The built-in cameras support location tracking, object recognition, and QR code recognition. myBuddy can perform face and body recognition, motion simulation, and path tracking with the cameras.

Because VR technology is increasingly becoming a research and development field in its own right, Elephant Robotics has decided to integrate a wireless VR control function into myBuddy. With this function, users can not only experience human-robot interaction and conduct some dangerous science experiments, but also explore other principles and basic applications of wireless cobot control, such as underwater exploration, remote-controlled vehicles, and space exploration. In the future, myBuddy may also be used as a surgeon to support a virtual surgical system.

Collaboration with two arms and multiple accessories

Elephant Robotics has developed more than 20 accessories for the robot arm, including an end effector, base, camera, cell phone gripper and more. myBuddy is more flexible, maneuverable and resilient than the single robot arm of myCobot. The ability to grasp and move objects has been effectively improved for both rigid and flexible objects, and collisions between the two arms are effectively avoided during work. With this accessory, myBuddy can perform more applications in science and education. For example, after installing a gripper and suction pump, myBuddy can grip test tubes and pour liquids.