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Robotics Platform

Perception, planning and real-time control with safety independent of software.

2026Physical AI · Real-time Control · Perception
Robotics Platform

Project Overview

A manipulation platform where perception and planning run on an application processor while motion control stays deterministic on a real-time core. An independent safety layer can override everything above it.

Challenge

Perception needs throughput and motion control needs determinism, and they fight for the same machine. Safety behaviour could not depend on a general-purpose scheduler, and mechanical iteration was too slow to absorb late architectural change.

Solution

We separated the two concerns behind an explicit contract: the planner issues setpoints on a bounded cycle, the real-time core executes them, and a hardware-enforced safety layer sits outside both. That let perception evolve without ever destabilising motion.

Architecture

01

Mechanical & Hardware

Harmonic-drive joints with encoder feedback and per-axis current sensing, designed against defined load cases with hardware emergency-stop paths.

  • Load-case analysis before tooling commitment
  • Per-axis current sensing and encoder feedback
  • Hardware E-stop independent of software
  • Fine panel gaps with serviceable joint modules
02

AI

A perception stack for detection and pose estimation, SLAM for localisation, and a planner running on a bounded cycle.

  • Time-synchronised sensor fusion across sources
  • Perception cadence decoupled from the control loop rate
  • Worst-case latency budget verified under load
  • Simulation-in-the-loop to filter before hardware iteration
03

Software

Real-time motion control on a dedicated MCU, ROS 2 on the application processor, and an operator console with full-fidelity run logging.

  • Deterministic control verified under maximum load
  • EtherCAT between control core and drives
  • Operator console with teleoperation and incident playback
  • Every run logged for replay and improvement

Result

  • Motion determinism held under peak perception load
  • Safety verified in hardware, not asserted in software
  • Perception improved without destabilising control
  • Every field run logged and replayable

Technology Stack

Mechanical

Harmonic DrivesLoad CasesE-Stop

AI

PerceptionSLAMMotion Planning

Embedded

Real-time MCUROS 2EtherCAT

Apps

Operator ConsoleTeleoperation