Insider Brief
- Humanoid robotics company Persona AI and Under Armour are collaborating on research into protective materials for humanoid robots designed for industrial environments.
- According to Persona AI, the project will study how performance apparel materials handle heat, friction and repetitive motion as the company develops humanoid robots for welding, manufacturing and hazardous industrial work.
- The companies said the early-stage research could help improve robot durability, thermal regulation and mobility while exploring how performance material technologies used in sports apparel may apply to industrial robotics systems.
Just because humanoid robots don’t get blisters doesn’t mean they don’t need a good pair of work gloves.
That’s the idea behind the collaboration between Persona AI and Under Armour to research protective materials for industrial humanoid robots.
According to Houston-based humanoid robot developer Persona AI, the collaboration will focus on how materials commonly used in human athletic and performance apparels perform under conditions such as heat, friction and repetitive movement for humanoid robots in manufacturing and hazardous industrial work.
“We chose to work with Under Armour because of their track record of innovation with these types of performance materials,” Persona AI CEO Nicolaus Radford said in the announcement. “As we develop humanoids for intense and potentially hazardous environments, this collaboration helps us understand how advanced materials can enhance long-term reliability, thereby informing solutions to better protect workers in the field.”
The work remains in an early research and development phase. Persona AI said the collaboration is intended to help the company better understand how material design could affect long-term robot reliability and operational performance in physically demanding jobs such as welding, heavy manufacturing and hazardous material handling.
Under Armour said the project also gives the company an opportunity to explore how concepts such as abrasion resistance, flexibility and heat management could apply outside traditional sports apparel markets as humanoid robotics systems move into industrial applications.
“This is an opportunity to apply our innovation expertise in a new context,” noted Kyle Blakely, senior vice president of innovation, design studio, development, and testing at Under Armour. “Robotics presents a fascinating new design challenge, and we aim to play a leading role in shaping performance solutions for these environments. As humanoid systems take on more physically demanding roles, we see real potential to create new market opportunities, and we’re exploring how concepts like thermal management, abrasion resistance, and flexibility translate beyond sport.”
Image credit: Persona AI
