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22 May 2025

Variable Stiffness Actuators (Glossary)

Industry and Factory 4.0 Automation Digital transformation Internet of Things Robots Artificial intelligence glossary

Variable Stiffness Actuators are at home in the field of robotics and Industry 4.0 as well as the Internet of Things (IoT). They are an important technical development because they make machines and robots much more flexible and safer.

A Variable Stiffness Actuator is a special motor or drive that can change its stiffness. Stiffness means how much a drive "resists" external forces. By changing the stiffness, the robot can either be very stable and powerful or particularly compliant and safe. This is important when robots work together with humans or perform sensitive tasks.

A simple example: a robot arm equipped with Variable Stiffness Actuators can lift heavy car parts (while being stiff and stable) and then carefully hold a pane of glass (while being flexible and gentle). This makes factories safer because robots can "give way" in the event of a collision with humans. At the same time, this increases productivity and opens up new possibilities in automation.

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Sanjay Sauldie

Sanjay Sauldie is a digital strategist, speaker and developer of the transruption toolkit, which companies can use to make their digital transformation measurable, human and sustainable. With kiROI - the AI-based approach to value creation in the digital age - he helps self-employed people and companies to integrate artificial intelligence into their processes in a practical way. With his outstanding marketing strategy iROI, he has already led countless companies to greater visibility and thus more profits. He combines digital innovation with disruptive thinking models for a sustainable business strategy. He studied mathematics and computer science at the University of Cologne, completed a Master of Science in Digital Disruption at the University of Salford (UK) and a Design Thinking programme at MIT/EMERITUS Singapore. As a multiple award-winning expert - including the Golden Web Award and the Innovation Award of the Initiative Mittelstand - he advises SMEs and corporations. His motto: "Digitalisation is not an end in itself - it must serve people."

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