2024 Q4 Update

We at Delta Robotics are excited to announce several operational milestones and the progress that we have made these past few months. Despite setbacks with manufacturing our first batch of ThermoFlex™ artificial muscles, we have successfully started shipping out our products to customers. For those waiting on an order, expect a tracking number soon! We are having to work around the holiday shipping frenzy, but orders are slowly making their way. We are also proud to share details about our participation in the Health Wildcatters Startup Accelerator program, and what the future looks like for Delta Robotics.

In this Q4 2024 update, we'll cover:

• 🚀 Health Wildcatters Program: Our experience in the startup accelerator program, including pitch day outcomes and future funding opportunities

• 📈 Company Growth: Details about our first successful product deliveries, shipping progress, and the expansion of our team

• 🔧 Manufacturing Journey: Transparent discussion about the challenges we've faced with muscle production and case manufacturing, including solutions implemented

• ⚡ Product Improvements: Updates on our ThermoFlex™ Mk.1 muscles and controller design enhancements

• 🎯 Looking Forward: Our strategic objectives for Q1 2025, including manufacturing optimization, new product launches, and expansion plans

Health Wildcatters Program

We got the opportunity of a lifetime this fall, out of over 500 applicants we were accepted into the Health Wildcatters Startup Accelerator program located in Dallas TX. In a nutshell, 8 to 12 startups will join the accelerator program annually and participate in our three-month program. The startup will receive an investment from Health Wildcatters, access to Mentors and industry experts, and introductions to investors. The accelerator program just ended, with each startup in our cohort sharing their company visions through a night of pitch decks and networking with the Health Wildcatter community. Throughout the program, we were given a full rundown of expectations for running a startup, acquiring team members and mentors, and growing a company through the seed stage to a larger scale. The program and its head, Hubert Zajicek, introduced us to a peer group second to none and connected us with potential venture capital that we can use to secure our seed round of funding.

With the conclusion of this program, we are officially opening up a seed funding round in January to scale our manufacturing capabilities and continue the development of artificial muscle technology. If you are connected in the venture capital space, and/or interested in hardware startups and medical device companies, we would love to meet so that we can show you why artificial muscle technology will change the world. Launching and shipping our first product was a pivotal milestone, and we need your help to achieve the rapid growth that we know we are capable of.

As a result of the amazing team and network at Health Wildcatters, we have had several interested parties connect with us to develop novel commercial solutions and/or integrate our tech into their products. These conversations are still ongoing so we can’t say much but we are extremely excited about 2025.

If you are interested feel free to reach out to our team at info@deltaroboticsinc.com.

ThermoFlex™ Batch 1

Despite facing issues with the consistency in manufacturing for our first product, the ThermoFlex™ Mk.1 muscle, we have successfully delivered kits to some of our first customers. We recently onboarded several members to our manufacturing team and are now hard at work producing the remaining kits in the batch for delivery to our early adopters.

Manufacturing Challenges

As a new hardware startup launching our first product, we have been exposed to the challenges that come with scaling up production. Ensuring consistency and quality within every muscle has been difficult, to say the least. The issues primarily came from taking our initial results and designs and scaling them into production so that every customer receives the same experience and performance. With a tight budget and limited resources, we took a bet on an experimental method of training NiTiNOL that was more cost-effective and efficient but proved to be too unreliable. The performance of muscles constructed with this method dropped off quickly after continuous use. Overall, this experience forced us to return to the industry-standard method of training NiTiNOL, despite being more expensive and slow our muscle performance has been very consistent. We still believe there is a lot of potential in the experimental method, but we want to spend more time refining the process.

Another major challenge we ran into was manufacturing the protective case for the Mk.1 Node Controller. Our controller was designed from the beginning to be developer-friendly, using an Arduino R4 Minima as a reprogrammable microcontroller, passthrough pins to make it expandable, CAN bus ready, added connectors for external sensors, and used common standardized connectors. All of these features needed to be accessible so we opted for a 3D-printed case that could be customized and a laser-cut acrylic window to be able to see the status LEDs.

Our initial design used a 3mm thick cast Acrylic sheet that we would bend the edges 90° for a smooth transition in the 3D-printed case. THIS LOOKED AWESOME! However, we quickly realized that due to several variables the bending process would consistently warp and scratch the acrylic making it unusable. We spent months troubleshooting and even went as far as ordering a custom mold professionally manufactured.

Although we got close and with a little more time we think we could have solved it, we realized that the process was never going to be easily repeatable for developers. We got so caught up in making a really cool-looking product that we forgot that it has to work first, so we would like to formally apologize for our mistake that ended up delaying orders. Our CEO has been thoroughly yelled at but if you feel the need to do so yourself feel free to do so using this link.

Design Improvements

Since our initial pre-orders and announcement of our first batch of products, we have made significant improvements in the design and performance of our ThermoFlex™ Mk.1 muscles. These new components allow for simpler integration into robotic designs and are more streamlined than the version we demonstrated back in August.

Our ThermoFlex™ Node controller is the most capable and affordable NiTiNOL driver that we have seen on the market, and with it, we have released a simple Python API for engineers to begin moving the muscles within 15 minutes of unboxing (yes we have tested this!). We will continue working with ThermoFlex™ and its supporting software to improve the user experience. This involves building integrations for popular robotic ecosystems like Arduino and the Robot Operating System(ROS).

We understand the inherent challenges of NiTiNOL that have historically limited its wider adoption. Here are the key improvements we've developed to address these challenges:

• ❄️ Cooling Rate Optimization

  • Our controller was built with a temperature monitoring system that prevents activation temperature overshooting, significantly reducing cooling time.

• 🔌 Seamless Integration

  • Traditional NiTiNOL integration has been hampered by its oxide layer, making electrical and mechanical connections challenging. Our electromechanical connector system transforms this process, making NiTiNOL integration as straightforward as working with conventional stepper motors.

• 📊 Advanced Feedback Systems

  • We've built NiTiNOL feedback capabilities with our controller's built-in position, force, and temperature sensing. Early testing shows promising results in precise motion control and force regulation. The system also supports external sensors including EMG and stretch sensors.

• 🎮 Robust Control Architecture

  • Enhanced communication protocols and data collection features enable real-time monitoring and adjustment.

  • CAN bus support allow for scalable networks of multiple devices, perfect for complex robotic systems.

Future Goals

We are committed to expanding our product lineup, refining ThermoFlex™ Mk.1, and engaging with our community of early adopters. As we look forward to 2025, we aim to deliver solutions that match our customers’ high expectations and demonstrate the true potential of artificial muscle technology. Below are some of our key objectives for external stakeholders:

• 📦 Fulfill Mk.1 Orders

  • Continue shipping to remaining customers, ensuring reliability and performance in every kit.

• 🔧 Refine User Experience

  • Launch and improve the ThermoFlex™ Python API to simplify integration for developers.

  • Provide better resources (including a GitBook "Getting Started" guide) and a dedicated user support line.

  • Release the Delta Client app for ThermoFlex™ users to better utilize their artificial muscle devices.

• 💰 Secure Funding & Partnerships

  • Open seed investment opportunities in January to increase manufacturing capacity.

  • Explore partnerships with interested companies to co-develop new commercial applications.

  • Move forward with the projects that we have started with key university research groups, researching ThermoFlex improvements and applications within robotic systems (More info will be released as these projects mature).

• 🚀 Launch Batch 2

  • Announce production and shipment timelines.

  • Create demonstration projects and tutorials that showcase real-world applications of ThermoFlex technology.

• ⚡ Continue Product Development

  • Release official Mk.1 product specifications, including performance metrics and test results.

  • Begin work on the Mk.2 prototype, seeking industry partners for next-generation applications.

  • Expand the ThermoFlex ecosystem with supporting technologies that enable developers to expand the capability of their soft-robot designs.

  • We are establishing partnerships with manufacturers to provide high-quality NiTiNOL materials including springs, wire, and connectors. Recognizing the challenges in sourcing these specialized components, we're leveraging our industry connections and bulk purchasing power to become a reliable, accessible supplier of NiTiNOL products for the robotics community.

Thank you all for tagging along with us on this journey. We would not be where we are today without the supporters, mentors, and peers giving us consistent advice and direction each and every day. We will release one of these updates per quarter, so stay tuned for more exciting developments in 2025!

Kevin Fehr

CEO / Evil Genius