Mouser equips engineers to navigate the expanding world of robotics

Advancements in robotics span multiple domains. Soft robotics, designed to mimic organic movement, have revolutionised prosthetic development, enabling lifelike artificial limbs with enhanced dexterity. Meanwhile, sweeping robotics integrate advanced components like Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors and antennas to optimise autonomous cleaning.

In industrial settings, robots automate repetitive and hazardous tasks, boosting productivity, while collaborative robots (cobots) optimise workflows and free human workers for strategic roles. As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) advance, robots are becoming smarter and more adaptable, paving the way for seamless human-robot collaboration.

Mouser's robotics content hub provides comprehensive resources, including articles, blogs, eBooks and products, designed to guide users through the complexities of robotics. Selecting the right robotic system is crucial to optimising performance in specific environments. Mouser's expert technical team and trusted manufacturing partners curate technical articles and resources to help engineers identify key differences, such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) versus autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), helping engineers navigate critical design decisions and implement the most effective robotic solutions.

Mouser stocks a number of products and solutions for robotics applications:

The AD-GMSL522-SL Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL) robotics rapid development platform from Analog Devices (ADI) is a GMSL-enabled NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX-based carrier board and software solution that allows for simple camera-to-display conversion. This solution creates a scalable, user-friendly GMSL platform for receiving and transmitting data. The platform enables demonstrations and ecosystem development by serving as a hardware platform for software development.

The VL53L7CH ToF sensor by STMicroelectronics is an 8x8 (64 zones) multizone sensor with an ultrawide 90 degree diagonal Field of View. This sensor offers a Compact and Normalised Histogram innovative output for AI applications that require multizone raw ToF sensor data. The sensor is used in cup rim detection for coffee machines and beverage dispensers, people-counting for smart buildings, and other applications like floor sensing for robotics and vacuum cleaners.

The AEAT-901B incremental magnetic encoders by Broadcom provide an integrated solution for angular detection within a complete 360 degree rotation. These encoders use magnetic technology for motion control and sensing activities, which helps eliminate mechanical contact and free the device from mechanical wear and tear. The magnetic encoders feature 256 to 10,000 CPR resolution, a -40degC to 125degC operating wide temperature range, and a 5V single supply.

The RA8E2 480MHz microcontrollers by Renesas Electronics achieve 6.39CM/MHz (CoreMarks per MHz), enabling demanding and compute-intensive applications like endpoint AI and robotics. Using the Arm Cortex M85 core with a 7-stage superscalar pipeline (vs. 6-stage on the CM7 core) brings an unprecedented 30% higher scalar performance, improving efficiency versus the predecessor.