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Meet Astorino, Kawasaki Robotics’ Affordable Educational Robot Platform
Kawasaki Robotics' new educational robot has been designed to provide students and educators with affordable, hands-on learning to prepare for real-world industrial robotics applications.
Industrial automation and robotics solutions provider Kawasaki Robotics has released Astorino, an educational robotic platform for North American students and educators. The new educational robot will make its debut at the 2024 IMTS Smartforce Student Summit in Chicago from September 9 to 14 (Booth 121415). Astorino is designed for industrial and technical education providers to equip students with foundational skills necessary in modern manufacturing environments.
Kawasaki Robotics’ educational robotics platform, Astorino, will make its debut at IMTS 2024. Image used courtesy of Kawasaki Robotics
Astorino, an Educational Industrial Robot
Kawaski Robotics’ new six-axis educational robot, Astorino, highlights the company’s commitment to advancing industrial robotics education. According to the Director of General Industries at Kawasaki Robotics, Paul Marcovecchio, Astorino has been designed for ease of use and affordability to make advanced robotics design tools for educational institutions more accessible. The new platform uses advanced technological aspects such as control systems, application software, firmware, and hardware expertise to emulate a real-world Kawasaki industrial robot to best prepare students for real-world environments.
Astorino’s name is derived from ASTOR, Kawasaki's development partner and the open-source Arduino platform. The new robotics educational platform simplifies lesson planning with pre-made educational resources that teach programming, operation, repair, and maintenance, encouraging learning through hands-on experience.
The Astorino educational, industrial robotics platform encourages hands-on learning to prepare students for real-world applications. Image used courtesy of Kawasaki Robotics
An Affordable Educational Robotics Platform
Astorino is a 99.5% 3D-printed 6-axis robot featuring a 1 kg payload and a maximum reach of 587 mm. The platform comes with STL files to enable students to 3D print 99% of its replacement parts. For flexible installation, the robot can be floor or shelf-mounted and can come with an optional pre-drilled robot plate with 180 mounting holes. Astorino is programmable in Kawasaki's standard AS language and powered by a standard 110 V outlet, enhancing portability and ease of setup in different educational settings.
Astorino features dedicated software and a complete built-in control system for robot programming, control, and visualization. The robotic platform uses a 24 V power supply and is equipped with brakes for the 2nd and 3rd axes and a 24 V e-stop to immediately shut down the robot in an emergency. Additionally, an accelerometer enables the robot to detect collision, allowing for quick response to unintended contact, further enhancing safety.
For flexible connectivity, Kawasaki Robotics' new educational robot features USB and Ethernet ports and a Modbus TCP protocol, widely used in industrial automation. A teach pendant with a 3 m cable and a touch display provides students an intuitive way to control and program the robot. The new Astorino robot offers flexibility with various gripper add-ons, including magnetic, vacuum, electric, and 2-jaw, with a holding force between 5 N and 20 N. The robot can also be paired with a cube feeder station with pneumatic actuators and sensors.
Astorino offers advanced industrial training at an affordable price. Image used courtesy of Kawasaki Robotics
Advancing Robotics Education
With the launch of Astorino, Kawasaki Robotics’ is developing specialized course material and a Train-the-Trainer program to aid instructors in effectively teaching robotics. According to Marcovecchio, the training material is set to enhance the educator's teaching, adding that Astorino is part of the company's dedication to equipping future operators, engineers, and technicians with advanced tools, robots, and learning opportunities.
Astorino features a base price of $5,000 so as to be a cost-effective tool for institutions. The platform enables a hands-on learning approach designed to prepare students to tackle real-world applications, sinking them into concepts in robotics systems and enhancing their knowledge retention of key areas like programming and mechatronics.
