Cobots use vision and ranging sensors to locate and inspect objects, force/torque sensing to guide assembly and finishing, and MEMS sensors to track joint and gearbox condition for predictive maintenance. Vision and sensor processing are areas of particular ST strength, from FlightSense time-of-flight and global-shutter imaging to in-sensor intelligence that runs analytics inside the sensor itself. Edge AI processes data on the device, allowing local perception and decision-making for faster reaction and stronger data security.
Functionalities and devices
| Modality | Function | ST devices |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Locates and inspects parts | CMOS image sensors |
| Time-of-flight and ranging | Detects proximity, presence and obstacles | FlightSense ToF, LiDAR |
| Force/torque and inertial | Measures contact force and tracks motion | 6-axis F/T front end, IMU, accelerometer |
| Vibration monitoring | Tracks joint and gearbox condition | MEMS vibration sensors |
| Edge AI | Runs inference on the device | STM32N6 with Neural-ART NPU, ISPU-equipped sensors |
The models that run on these devices are generated and optimized with ST development tools such as STM32Cube.AI and NanoEdge AI Studio.