Mecademic releases new firmware for its tiny little industrial robot
Mecademic has released new firmware for its tiny little industrial robot, the Meca500, dubbed “the world’s smallest six-axis industrial robot arm”.
Though minuscule, the machine has six axes and is said to be essentially the same in movement and articulation to a large industrial robot. The Mecademic robot features 5 micron repeatability and has a price tag consistent with industry-standard robots.
Mecademic, a Canadian startup, says the new firmware 8 is “an entirely new software product”, and will be the base for all future Mecademic robots.
The company says that, from a user point of view, “there are only a few major changes and improvements in firmware 8”.
However, some new additions “modify the behavior of the robot and may require that you slightly revise your programs, should you choose to upgrade”.
Mecademic’s technical support team are prepared to assist customers in the migration, and while an upgrade is optional, the company recommends migration, “even if your robots are already in production”.
Among the changes introduced in firmware 8 are improved movement in the joints, faster cycle times, and something new called “velocity mode”, which replaces the previous “position mode”.
Future additions will include new commands for the web interface, and Mecademic is inviting users to suggest features that they would like.