As part of a drive to get robots into more and more workplaces, operating side-byside with humans, a team of expert development engineers at global motion control
specialist NSK have come up with a novel way to improve the mobility of
collaborative robots (cobots): the NSK Active Caster. This innovative omnidirectional
motorised drive unit, which is ready for use in a diverse range of cobot and service
robot applications, could soon come to the assistance of countries facing ageing
populations and labour shortages.
The NSK Active Caster wheel unit is suitable for use in close proximity to people. Smart,
quiet and compact, Active Casters fitted to service robots are currently undergoing field
tests and could shortly play a role in workplaces around the globe. Service robots that
interact with humans is a very new field, one with direct benefits for a number of industries,
including logistics and medical.
Hospitals and care facilities, for instance, require workers to perform many physically
demanding tasks in a timely manner to aid the recovery of patients. Here, Active Casters
could act as service robots by automating medical carts, transporting medical supplies,
moving gurneys and reducing the overall workload in these busy environments.
This capability could prove vital in many established economies around the world suffering
from ageing populations and labour shortages. In such locations, cobots and service robots
taking advantage of Active Casters may soon become necessary to automate repetitive and
manual tasks, enabling humans to focus on higher value work activities.
Potential applications also exist in wider society, helping people suffering with limited
mobility for instance. Here, Active Casters could become part of a robot ‘suitcase’ to make it
easier for people to travel, or a moving cart that doubles as a walker to help carry things
around the house. The programmable walker could move out of the way and return when
convenient, giving the user more space when sitting down without having to worry about
keeping it within reach.
At present, the NSK Active Caster is undergoing repeated operational tests in a laboratory
featuring various surface environments, such as uneven floors, carpets, bumps and slopes.
The team wants to ensure the product can facilitate motion in all directions, carry heavy
loads and traverse gradients over the most challenging of terrain. Active Casters feature
two motors per wheel, and control steering and motion through the difference in their
rotational speeds. Moving forward, the company’s development engineers will continue to
evolve the design by applying NSK’s strengths in bearing and lubrication technology.
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Balancing the performance-to-cost ratio is a key focus of the development process.
Ultimately, the team is using technology and know-how cultivated in many fields of research
and development to drive this ambition.
NSK has been manufacturing bearings for more than 100 years, helping the company
nurture close ties to cutting-edge fields such as cobots and service robots. In the Active
Caster project, like many projects before, NSK will continue to communicate closely with its
customers and make every effort to devise solutions that add value to industry and society.
Press pictures
1) NSK‘s Active Caster can move in all directions, carry heavy loads and traverse gradients
2) The NSK Active Caster is an omnidirectional motorised drive unit for cobot and service
robot applications
3) NSK Active Casters feature two motors per wheel
About NSK Europe
NSK Europe Ltd. is the European organisation of the Tokyo-based bearing manufacturer NSK, which was
founded in Japan in 1916 and today employs nearly 29,882 people in its worldwide operations. The products
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and solutions provided by the industrial and automotive supplier can be found wherever things move. In addition
to nearly all types of rolling bearings, the company’s portfolio includes housed bearings, linear technology,
wheel bearing units, transmission and engine bearings. The company is oriented to perfection in all of its
business activities. Its aim is quality leadership in its industry, which it strives for through a continuous process
of improvement, excellent product development, optimised production processes and customer-oriented service
processes. In fiscal year 2022, the more than 4,030 employees of NSK Europe Ltd. generated sales of over €
893 million.
