Introducing Baxter

Baxter is a two-armed robot created by Rethink Robotics to be a collaborative worker for the manufacturing industry. Each of Baxter's arms has seven degrees of freedom (DOF) and a series of joint actuators that make 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, as shown in the following figure, sports sensors that enable Baxter to perform many tasks:

• 360-degree sonar sensor at the top of Baxter's head

• 1024 x 600 pixel screen face with built-in camera

• Camera, infrared sensor, and accelerometer on the cuff at the end of each...