Introducing Baxter
Baxter is a two-armed robot created by Rethink Robotics designed to be a collaborative worker in the manufacturing industry. Each of Baxter's arms has seven degrees of freedom (DOF) and a series of joint actuators, which makes Baxter unique as a manufacturing robot. Baxter's joints are composed of series-elastic actuators (SEAs) that have a spring between the motor/gearing and the output of the actuator. This springiness makes Baxter's arms compliant and capable of detecting external forces, such as contact with a human. This advantage makes Baxter safe to work alongside people without a safety cage. The SEAs also provide greater flexibility for control using the torque deflection as feedback for the control system.
Baxter, shown in the following image, has a number of sensors that enable Baxter to perform many tasks:
A 360-degree sonar sensor at the top of Baxter's head
A 1024 x 600 pixel screen face with a built-in camera
A camera, infrared sensor, and accelerometer on the...
