HEBI developing modular robotic building blocks for NASA

By Steve Crowe | September 23, 2024

HEBI Robotics was awarded a $150,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by NASA to develop smart robotic actuation hardware and building blocks that can be used in space. The new products will be compatible with HEBI’s current platform for robot development.

HEBI said the SBIR grant will support its efforts to further expand its platform with “Space-Rated Modular Robotic Building Blocks.” The technology developed will make it possible to design and create robots terrestrially with HEBI building blocks, and then transfer that work to space-rated HEBI hardware that can be deployed in missions in space, representing a major leap forward in robotics.

“For ten years, HEBI has been working to streamline the process of developing robots. Customers around the world use our system to create robust robots that would have been infeasible without the HEBI Platform,” said Bob Raida, who was named CEO of HEBI Robotics in 2023. “Many of those users are designing systems that will ultimately be deployed in space. This project will make it possible for those users to design and build robots in their lab with the HEBI Platform, knowing that work will carry through to the final production design and system.”

Founded in 2014, HEBI’s long-term goal is to make it easy to create robust, professional-grade robots, without requiring years of technical training. The HEBI Platform is used by developers in a variety of industries, and those robots often need to perform in challenging environments. Over the years, HEBI has expanded its hardware to be capable of performing in a wider range of environments including wet and dirty environments, and underwater.

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The Phase I SBIR program is designed to encourage small businesses to engage in federal research and development with the potential for commercialization. By funding innovative projects, NASA aims to foster new technologies that can support space missions and improve our understanding of space and technology.

All proposals submitted to the NASA SBIR/STTR program undergo a rigorous merit-based review process. Once a small business is awarded a Phase I grant, it becomes eligible to apply for Phase II funding and additional supplements totaling up to $1 million.

HEBI Robotics is based in Pittsburgh and spun out from Carnegie Mellon University’s Biorobotics Lab. Earlier in 2024, HEBI Robotics introduced its H-Series actuators that it said provide higher versatility, precision, and torque, and can be used to create custom robots for challenging environments. The H-Series actuators feature zero backlash, up to 140 Nm of continuous torque, an onboard IMU, current sensing, and over-temperature protection. These features allow it to be used in anything from wheeled robots to collaborative robot arms.

The company also intrdouced this year new T-Series, R-Series actuators, and Track actuators.

HEBI Robotics won an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award in 2023 for applying its modularity expertise to mobile robots. It introduced mobile robots for industrial inspection and maintenance. The robots were built around HEBI’s R-Series actuators that are designed for wet and dirty outdoor environments.