It's hard to believe that this smooth metallic donut I'm holding in my hands is actually a motor capable of powering a robot. It looks more like a movie prop from Black Panther's Wakanda - smooth, sleek and with nothing that makes it look like the kinds of motors I've seen on different robots.
But that's the point, according to Mike Hilton. He's the CEO of Genesis Robotics, a spinoff of the Canadian-based Genesis Advanced Technology, a research and development firm that develops and licenses new technology for a variety of industries. The product that it's developed and I'm holding is called LiveDrive - it's an actuator for robots that eschews the traditional gearbox.
"The reason the gearbox exists is that the motor typically doesn't have the power or torque to support the needs of a robot," explained Hilton. "So the gearbox is designed to do that. But we've designed a new motor that has the same torque or power output as a motor and gearbox combination without the gearbox. It's a brand new design."
The company developed LiveDrive because it saw a market opportunity - when they discussed issues that engineers in the field had with robots, the gearbox was something that came up time and time again as something to get rid of. So Genesis put their engineers to work on developing a robotic motor that could work without one.
"When we talked to people in the industry, we heard time and time again that the gearbox is one of the biggest things holding back robotics," said Hilton.
The end result of the company's research was this sleek motor that uses magnetic technology to amplify its output. The LiveDrives are stackable, which enables engineers to add power without compromising space, as the motors are only 2 centimeters thick. The motors can also be built to a variety of scales, says Hilton.
"We can make a motor as small as 10 centimeters in diameter all the way up to 76 centimeters, and any size in between," he says.
The stackability of the motors leads to some interesting applications. Hilton showed me video of several LiveDrives stacked on top of each other on a robot arm, which enabled it to move with a significant amount of flexibility. It reminded me of Doctor Octopus's robot arms from Spider-Man.
And because they're so thin, Hilton adds, it solves a design problem for things like exoskeletons, enabling more useful applications. "Exoskeletons are bulky because actuators are bulky."
The company has been working to develop exoskeletons using its LiveDrive system, and has produced a video of such an exoskeleton being used to help rehabilitate an injured soldier, which you can view below:
Genesis Robotics is primarily a research company and looking for commercial partners to license its technology to. According to Hilton, the company has started a dialogue across the spectrum at conferences and other opportunities, showing off the technology and letting commercial partners figure out how it best suits their design needs.
One way the company is doing that is by developing its own reference designs to demonstrate how LiveDrive can be used in different robotics applications. For example, it helped develop the design of the Exoskeleton above. Another such reference design is the Genesis Transporter, a robot inspired by the Mars Curiosity rover to assist people in carrying items over long distances. Powered by the LiveDrive motors, the rovers are capable of walking over difficult terrain - and even up stairs.
The Transporter is a design that could be used in two different markets: the military, for hauling supplies over long distances as well as the civilian market as a device that can assist elderly people in day-to-day tasks, enabling them to live more independently.
"I immediately imagined my own mother using this right now when she walks to the store instead of carrying plastic bags across the street and up the stairs," said James Klassen, CTO of Genesis, who led the development of the Transporter.
For Hilton, actively working to develop its exoskeleton and Transporter products enables Genesis to demonstrate the utility of its motor design.
"Genesis is always looking for ways to demonstrate how the LiveDrive technology can be implemented to create revolutionary new types of designs and products that take advantage of the unique form factor and performance characteristics of LiveDrive," said Hilton. "Genesis uses products like the rover as a way to lead the market."
