From exoskeletons to motion cameras, aircraft electrification to wave energy capture, robotic surgery to active damping, the application space for high performance linear actuation is expanding rapidly. Electrification is well underway, driven by convenience and sustainability. But what happens when conventional EMA’s meet their limits and constrain new solutions or have expensive failure modes? How can we fund development of the innovative actuation needed by emerging applications pre-market? how can we manage the risk of a new technology introduction when the technology is safety or mission critical?
We pivoted from robotics to actuator development with the advantage of existing facilities, IP and business relationships we could draw on to help fund development without taking the risk of equity investment. Bionics applications utilise all aspects of the new SILA technology, but commercialisation will take time due to high safety standards necessitated by human-wearable devices. Aerospace is heading for 2035 but has the need and resources to fund development, driven by sustainability imperatives. We also anticipate an upsurge in investment in humanoid robotics, driven by the ageing population and labour economics, which will bring the need for better actuation into sharp focus. However, translating this to investment in actuation could take time.
In a nutshell, robotics, prosthetics and aerospace are driving SILA development but we expect that an application in a less highly regulated sector will be first to market exploiting one or more of SILAs unique characteristics.
