New Robotic Manipulator Arm Expands Mission Capabilities of Quadruped UGVs

Ghost Robotics has launched a new Manipulator Arm for its Vision 60 Quadruped Unmanned Ground Vehicle (Q-UGV®), providing the all-weather robot with the ability to perform complex physical tasks in harsh environments.

The system is a lightweight, modular, top-mounted addition designed to interact with the environment without compromising the agility of the base platform. Featuring six Degrees of Freedom (DoF) and a fully backdrivable design, the arm offers force-sensitive control and durability comparable to the robot’s legs.

This allows the Vision 60 to perform varied tasks such as opening doors, retrieving objects, and handling specialized equipment in both indoor and outdoor settings.

Gavin Kenneally, Co-Founder and CEO of Ghost Robotics, commented, “At Ghost Robotics, our mission is to keep people out of harm’s way. We already build legged robots for some of the world’s most demanding customers operating in the toughest environments. Now, those same robots can manipulate the world around them – giving first responders, warfighters, and inspectors a safer and more capable platform for hazardous or hard-to-reach missions.”

Technical specifications for the hardware include a total mass of 10.6 kg and a full extension reach of 1 meter. The arm provides a gripping force of 11.3 kg and a continuous payload capacity of 3.75 kg at a 50 cm extension. Engineered for extreme conditions, the unit is IP67 rated for dust and water submersion and remains operational in temperatures ranging from –40 to 55 °C.

The Vision 60 Q-UGV itself features modular payloads, a waterproof design, and a field-repairable build, offering up to three times the endurance of comparable legged robots while preserving exceptional mobility across rain, snow, mud, sand, and challenging terrain.

This platform is used extensively by the U.S. Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force, as well as commercial partners in the energy and construction sectors. The Vision 60 Q-UGV can be expanded with mission-specific sensors, cameras, communication systems, and now this new Manipulator Arm, allowing it to be tailored for defense, industrial, public safety, energy, construction, and data-center operations.

Kenneally added, “The Vision 60 was built for the harshest terrain outside, but anyone in public safety or defense knows the toughest challenges are often inside the building. With our new arm enabling door access, the robot is built for both worlds.”

The integration of the arm extends the utility of the Q-UGV into specialized fields including Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), disaster response, and industrial inspection where remote manual intervention is required to maintain human safety.