HEBI has prior expertise with NASA, with initiatives resembling this “Superball” cell robotic constructed with HEBI actuators. | Supply: HEBI Robotics
NASA has awarded HEBI Robotics with continued Small Enterprise Innovation Analysis (SBIR) funding. HEBI obtained a Part II contract to develop and take a look at actuation {hardware} designed to function in harsh house environments.
The 2-year, $850k venture venture contains constructing management electronics that work with the HEBI Robotics platform and third-party techniques, serving to pace up the event of flight-ready actuation expertise for low Earth orbit (LEO) and geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) missions.
“HEBI’s long-term mission is to make it straightforward for any engineer to construct strong, professional-grade, robotic techniques with out years of technical expertise or coaching,” stated Andrew Willig, director of {hardware} at HEBI Robotics. “Creating actuation expertise that may face up to the cruel surroundings of house gives HEBI with an additional expanded modular {hardware} platform with a broader software base. This enables the agile manufacturing of advanced robotic techniques for house functions that may in any other case require lengthy, multi-million-dollar endeavors.”
HEBI Robotics stated it gives versatile modulators for constructing customized robots shortly and reliably. It gives “Lego-like” modular actuation {hardware} with software program designed to be intuitive for analysis labs and industrial groups worldwide.
The Carnegie Mellon College spinout stated its expertise can speed up growth and help sensible automation in difficult environments. As an illustration, HEBI final 12 months developed modular constructing blocks for NASA.
HEBI received a 2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for its “inchworm” household of robots.
NASA might use actuation for servicing satellites, development, and extra
NASA can use space-rated actuation {hardware} for a variety of functions, together with robotic arms that deploy tools, photo voltaic panels, and extra, in addition to in house development. Getting older satellites require upkeep, whereas development of recent constructions in orbit, on the moon, and on Mars continues to be a subject of nationwide and worldwide significance.
Tough situations resembling ionizing radiation and the cruel actuality of a vacuum, the place conventional lubricants utilized in gearing in any other case outgas, make the problem HEBI is taking over essential. Gear, resembling robotic actuation and manipulators, is required to deal with objects and carry out duties, resembling in-space servicing, meeting, and upkeep (ISAM).
HEBI Robotics had beforehand demonstrated success with a NASA Part I SBIR contract associated to preliminary analysis and testing of actuators for house functions. SBIR awards present authorities companies with a method to diversify their expertise portfolios whereas supporting American companies with fewer than 500 staff. Part II SBIRs are solely chosen when Part I outcomes present sturdy technical outcomes with a excessive chance of business feasibility.
The advantages of the venture might transcend the direct scope of this SBIR work. It might additionally embrace the continued growth of the NASA ARMADAS expertise. It is a three way partnership with NASA, additionally involving HEBI Robotics, to develop autonomously-assembling supplies that construct infrastructure resembling habitat constructions, giant antenna arrays, and spaceports.
Terrestrial advantages of HEBI’s new expertise embrace operators within the nuclear inspection area, as radiation-hardened actuators are more and more required within the inspection and upkeep of nuclear websites, together with land or sea-based reactors.
