Franka Emika Robot

The Franka Emika robot, a versatile 7-DOF manipulator, is a popular platform for robotics research focusing on improving manipulation capabilities beyond its nominal specifications. Current research emphasizes expanding operational envelopes through advanced control algorithms (like contact-aware controllers and inverse dynamics analysis) to handle heavier payloads and perform complex tasks involving both grasping and non-prehensile manipulation. Researchers are also leveraging machine learning techniques, including neural radiance fields (NeRFs) and reinforcement learning, to enable robust object manipulation in uncertain environments, particularly for unseen objects and novel orientations. These advancements contribute to safer and more adaptable robotic systems with broader applications in industrial automation and other fields.