The award honors a platform for highly integrated actuators, designed especially for use in the articulation joints of humanoid robots. The platform includes high-efficiency servo electric motors with integrated power electronics and encoders, and can be configured with two-stage planetary gear units or shaft-mounted gear units, depending on the customer's requirements. Throughout the development of the actuators, the overriding objective was to achieve minimum installation space while delivering high continuous torque. The installation footprint has been reduced by approximately 20 percent compared to the latest solutions currently on the market.
The copper fill factor in the frameless PSM machine was increased to ensure a low temperature level at high torques. The actuator platform significantly reduces system costs, thereby creating a key prerequisite for the rapid scaling of service robotics.
"My sincere congratulations to this year's award winners. As patron of the HERMES AWARD, I am delighted to help raise the visibility of cutting-edge innovations. The firms Schaeffler and BTRY demonstrate that Europe performs world-class research. With its innovative platform for highly integrated actuators, Schaeffler is enhancing robotics in Germany. The platform is a key component in helping robotics develop its vast potential in an excellent ecosystem that involves goods production and a strong industrial sector. We want to leverage such potential with our High-Tech Agenda Germany. At the same time, it is about technology made in Europe,” said Dorothee Bär.
Startup award for fully flexible battery
The coveted HERMES Startup Award goes to a young Swiss company. The startup impressed the jury with the ultra-thin, fully flexible solid-state batteries they have developed.
The product in question is an outstanding innovation in the form of ultra-thin solid-state batteries. These combine fast charging, high temperature resistance, and an exceptional level of safety; indeed, they outperform conventional lithium-ion cells on all these counts. By applying production technologies from the semiconductor industry to battery manufacturing, BTRY has achieved a groundbreaking advance in the global shift toward smaller, safer, and more durable energy storage solutions – paving the way for the next generation of smart devices. These include wireless IoT sensors, wearables, and applications in the field of medical technology. The production process is entirely free of toxic solvents and is characterized by low material consumption. These batteries can operate at temperatures of up to 150 °C and, with a thickness starting at just 0.1 mm, can be fully charged and discharged within one minute.
