Startup Acutronic Robotics, created through a strategic investment between Sony and Acutronic, recently announced creating modular characteristics for three of Robotiq’s adaptive grippers through the use of the robotics operating system, or ROS.

Modular versions of the Robotiq Hand E, 2F-85, and 2F-140 models, ranging from 50 mm to 140 mm stroke, are now all available for customers through Acutronic Robotics’ website.

Acutronic Robotics said it used its cutting-edge H-ROS Technology to further pave the way for a more flexible automation. “Modularity reduces system integration efforts, one of the largest bottlenecks in robotic development,” the company said in a statement. By modularizing robot parts, developers can build, extend, and repair robots more efficiently.

The company added that new industry players “are discovering robot development for themselves to extend automation to new applications, and they’re using ROS instead of building their own proprietary software system.”

“We believe that robots will soon all be speaking ROS in a native way,” said Victor Mayoral, CEO at Acutronic Robotics. “With H-ROS we are leading the change and working with manufacturers that contribute to the robotics community.”

Among other features, the Robotiq Modular Grippers are qualified to achieve time synchronization and deterministic communications enabled with TSN, the company adds. Through a collaboration between Acutronic Robotics and Robotiq’s design team, all three grippers “are easy to install manually, and designed to work perfectly with collaborative robots for a fast, easy, plug & play integration.”

For customers that already own a Robotiq gripper, the company has launched an “add on” solution called the Modular Adapter. The device is an independent coupling that can make any of the three adaptive grippers modular and ROS 2.0 native. The Modular Adapter can attach to the grippers through an Ethernet connector, Acutronic Robotics said.