Parallel robots are manipulator robots that use several kinematic chains to transmit movement. This gives them the ability to move rapidly, as the heavier components (motors) are connected to the base, while moving parts remain lightweight.

These robots are particularly well suited for industrial “pick and place” operations, which consist of grabbing, moving, and placing objects repetitively at very high speeds.

Several families of parallel robots exist for pick and place applications. The most common are 3-arm robots, using an architecture known as Delta, but 4-arm robots also exist, such as the Adept Quattro.

Engineers at the Montpellier Institute of Robotics and Microelectronics created Quattro over a decade ago.

Today we are developing a new 4-arm manipulator robot for pick and place operations, offering better performance, higher speed, and a smaller footprint.