Barrett Technology, LLC

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Barrett Technology, LLC

Barrett Technology is the leader in advanced robotic manipulators and medical robotics.

As a fresh spin-off from the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1990, Barrett tasked itself with the stewardship of the first haptic robot arm, named the WAM™ arm. This manipulator embodies Transparent Dynamics™ drives that fundamentally break from the conventional design of robotic manipulators. With a market yet to exist for haptic devices, Barrett diligently honed the technology during the 1990s with grants from DoE, NASA, and NSF, as well as sales to key advanced-robotics laboratories all over the world. Since 1990, Barrett Technology has pioneered core technology underlying new levels of flexibility in articulated arms and hands. Today, Barrett is the leader in advanced robotic manipulators,
earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for its advanced manipulator technology. Barrett provides an unmatched degree of versatility to support the broadest array of applications.

03/12/2026

Is your robot doing backflips yet?

If not, it might be time for a Puck®.

The future of robotics is moving fast, and it's easy to assume it only lives in warehouses or research labs.

But robotics is quietly moving into everyday machines — small mobile robots, wearable devices, drones, and research prototypes being built by small teams all over the world.

While we can't promise backflips by the end of 2026, we can promise this:

• 2g — the weight of the P4-16 controller
• 16mm diameter — small enough to mount directly at the joint
• 400W Peak Power — serious output from something this small
• CANbus daisy chain — two wires connect the entire drive system

Instead of building motor controllers from scratch, teams can start moving immediately.

See the specs here:
barrett.com/puck

03/03/2026

After 40+ years of engineering, Bill Townsend has seen a thing or two when it comes to prototyping.

And as he says: even with a great prototype, the world isn't going to come banging down your door to buy it.

So, we make a huge effort to understand exactly what our customers need, providing value year after year with the Puck®, WAM®, and the Dev Kit.

It's guidance like this that makes sure our team builds in the right direction.

Hear more below:

02/24/2026

"If a cluttered desk is a cluttered mind...

What is an empty desk a sign of?"

--------------------------
Our desks are proudly busy at Barrett : )

Hard at work today as always!

02/20/2026

Humanoid robots are moving fast. Here's what caught our eye this week.

Fauna Robotics just unveiled Sprout, a 3.5-foot, 50-pound humanoid designed to operate around people. With 29 degrees of freedom, NVIDIA compute onboard, and simple 1-DOF grippers that prioritize durability, it's hoping to simplify human robot interaction.

Of course, without a BarrettHand™ to make your robot more durable, it's easy to see why dexterity might be passed over... ;) (https://barrett.com/barretthand)

Today, China ships 90% of the roughly 13,000 humanoid robots sold globally last year. And while startups performed at the China's Spring Festival Gala, Morgan Stanley projected that Chinese humanoid sales will more than double to 28,000 units this year.

And Synopsys Inc has bet big on "physical AI," the idea that robots need to move beyond language models and into foundational models that understand the physics of the world around them. They're building "agent engineers" to help design the systems that power the future of robotics.

For humanoids, the general design philosophy is clear: smaller, safer, closer to humans. It's a philosophy first heralded by Bill Townsend, CEO and Founder of Barrett Technology in 1988.

Barrett has been at the forefront of robotics for 38 years, and we're not going anywhere. Follow for more on Robotics, Humanoids, and the future of motion.

Sources:
https://www.foxnews.com/tech/humanoid-robots-getting-smaller-safer-closer
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/chinas-humanoid-robots-ready-lunar-new-year-showtime-2026-02-16/
https://www.rcrwireless.com/20260213/test-measurement/a-new-era-of-humanoid-robots

Photo credits: Fauna Robotics

02/18/2026

Barrett has been building robots for nearly 40 years.

A lot of robotics companies have come and gone in that time. We're still here, and we think it comes down to four steps we've followed since the beginning.

1. End user needs. Before we touch a CAD file, we ask what the customer is actually looking for... or, at Barrett Medical , what our patients are struggling with.

2. Technology. Next, we figure out what limitations the physics, materials, and regulations create, and what they allow: we're honest about what is possible, but we certainly like to dream big... or rather... small -- 16mm on the Puck®!

3. Human innovation. By inventing Puck®, backdrivability, or Burt®, we found ways to circumvent the technological limits. This isn't possible without a brilliant team. We build our culture around the amazing engineers that work at Barrett.

4. Iterate. Ship it, watch people use it, learn, repeat. Our motor control patents span four generations -- lets just say we've got a few iterations under our belts. ;)

What systems does your team use?

02/13/2026

Is your prototyping feeling out of focus?

Puck® just brought it back to clarity.

If you want a cleaner path from prototype to a working robot, here’s where Puck® helps:

* 16 mm motor controller to minimize wiring
* CAN bus with daisy chaining -- so you’re running two wires, not bundles
* Integrated encoder and sensing

We also design a custom adapter so it fits your motor cleanly.

Ready to get started? Message our page or visit barrett.com/puck to see how it fits your next build.

02/12/2026

Want to join our team?

We’re always open to meeting thoughtful, curious people -- even when we don't have specific roles open. So, we’re opening a “Dream Job” role on our LinkedIn page.

We've worked with a variety of individuals who found US before we found THEM... so don't shy away from an opportunity. In the absence of present job openings, we want to provide potential applicants with a pathway to reach us. If you see yourself contributing at Barrett, send us a DM or a short paragraph about where you think you’d do your best work.

Tell us what draws you in, what you care about building, and how you’d hope to contribute. We're a team of obsessive engineers who love creating the best products in the world.

The best opportunities often start with a simple conversation. We’d love to hear from you.

02/05/2026

We've been looking for ways to make your setup process even faster.

With the Dev Kit, you'll be up and running with 3 clicks and 30 minutes. This is the same hardware our team uses internally to bring WAM® and Burt® robots to life, now packaged so other engineers can do the same.

You get:
- A production-grade Puck® motor controller
- Clean power + comms breakout
- Simple setup for CAN-based control
- A faster path from motor prototype to robot

The goal is speed and clarity. Fewer wires + fewer assumptions.

If you’re building a robot, a rover, a wearable, or anything that needs precise motor control without a bulky control stack, this kit is meant to get you moving quickly.

It’s available now on barrett.com/puck

02/02/2026

What’s a dynamometer? And why does it matter for Puck® and the WAM® Arm?

A dynamometer measures speed, torque, and power under load.
You drive a motor or joint, and it tells you exactly what the hardware is producing.

For us, that’s critical. At Barrett, equipment like this helps push our technology to the limit. Testing, straining, and qualiifying that our calculations match reality.

We use it to:
- Measure motor torque
- Validate small scale tests
- Evaluate changing loads over time
- See how firmware changes translate into physical behavior

Having it in-house means we can tie calculations into the real world.

And it ensures every Puck® you buy runs at exactly the right specs.

01/29/2026

Incredible power -- in the palm of your hand.

In an equation:

⚙️ 🔩 🧲 + 📟 🔌 🧠 = 🤖 🦾 🦿 🚗 🛸 🚁 🛰️ 📡 🚀 🌕 🔭⚡

01/28/2026

Have you spent the last 3 years trying to build the ~perfect~ motor controller?

And still nothing works?

Believe it or not, we've spent 30 years perfecting it, and we're not stopping any time soon.

Difference is, our motor controller:
1) works first try
2) fits on your fingertip
3) is on your desk in 3 clicks, not 3 decades

Don't believe us?

Visit barrett.com/puck, and you'll have some in your pocket in 3 clicks at the most.

01/26/2026

In 2016, we still had the Penny...

In 2026, you've got the Puck® (and it's not going anywhere).

You'd be shocked how much power is packed in such a small space.

It's hard to match versatility with this much power, but the Puck handles almost any motor you can fit on a desk, with a peak power up to 400W.

We're not getting rid of the Puck any time soon.

Get yours at barrett.com/puck

Address

320 Nevada Street, Ground Floor, Building Rear
Newton, MA
02460

Website

http://www.barrett.com/

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