SlitRobo

SlitRobo is a family of modular autonomous robots designed for precision manipulation, inspection, and material handling in constrained spaces. It emphasizes adaptability, ease of customization, and compatibility with research and industrial workflows.

The platform centers on a compact chassis with a configurable number of servo-driven joints, a modular end-effector system, proprioception through force-torque sensors, and safety features such as power and collision sensing. It supports various communication interfaces and plug-in modules for grippers, suction cups, or optical sensors. The hardware is designed to be swapped quickly to fit different tasks.

SlitRobo runs on a ROS-based core with a hardware abstraction layer, enabling plug-and-play integration of different sensors and actuators. It provides a library of motion-planning routines, calibration tools, and a command-line API. It supports common industrial interfaces and can be controlled via higher-level orchestration platforms.

The project originated from collaboration among university labs and small robotics firms in the early 2020s. An open-source release in 2020 established core software and mechanical drawings; subsequent editions introduced improved actuators, safety features, and richer documentation. Variants include SlitRobo Lite for education and research, and SlitRobo Pro for industrial pilots.

Users employ SlitRobo for laboratory automation, research prototyping, small-scale assembly, and quality inspection. The open design has encouraged community contributions, though some users note integration challenges with proprietary systems and caution about safety certification requirements in regulated environments.