Industrial
Harmonic Drive will present a session on integrated actuator design at RoboBusiness 2026, focusing on how combining gearheads, motors, drives, and sensors can reduce engineering effort in robotic systems. The talk, led by mechatronics applications engineer Marcel Almonte, will take place on the first day of the show, Oct. 20, at 10:30 a.m. PT in Santa Clara, Calif.
Selecting the right motion architecture is a critical design decision in robotics. The session will examine the tradeoffs between component-level and integrated actuator architectures, helping engineers understand when each approach delivers the best balance of performance, flexibility, and development efficiency. Harmonic Drive’s RSF-5B IDT Sumpermini actuator with an integrated servo drive is highlighted as an example of this integrated approach.
Attendees will learn how integrated actuators can reduce engineering effort by simplifying system integration, minimizing cabling complexity, shortening testing and commissioning, and accelerating time-to-market.
Almonte will provide practical guidance on selecting motion solutions based on application requirements, communication protocols, performance targets, and overall system constraints. The goal is to equip attendees with a framework for making informed design decisions in next-generation robotic systems.
Marcel Almonte is a mechatronics applications engineer with experience in several motion control application areas. At Harmonic Drive, he focuses on the company’s Integrated Actuator product offering, including customer support, application engineering, and software development. He graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology in 2022 with a degree in electro-mechanical engineering and a minor in applied mathematics. During college, he worked as a quality and safety engineer at Philips, testing medical devices for CE compliance. Post-graduation, he served as a field engineer at Alert Innovation, troubleshooting hardware and software.
Source: The Robot Report