OctaPod Microrobot

Automatic positioning with the highest precision

The OctaPod™ from 3SAE is a task-oriented micro-robot designed for the high-precision positioning of photonic components during the manufacture of optical integrated circuits. The system performs this demanding task largely autonomously, thereby enabling fast, reproducible testing and manufacturing processes. The OctaPod requires only about half the space of a conventional hexapod. This makes it a reliable, space-saving, and scalable solution for multi-channel alignments on fiber arrays and photonic integrated circuits.
 

Optimized for industrial use

The OctaPod is the technical evolution of the proven PentaPod. An integrated high-frequency dither unit compensates for thermal drift, polymerization forces, and other disruptive influences through spiral-shaped circular movements. This automatic real-time optimization ensures maximum precision even during continuous operation. Thanks to integrated control electronics and task-based “Do This” commands, alignment tasks can be directly integrated into production software. The system thus meets all requirements for industrial use: It requires no cooling, is suitable for cleanroom environments, and is designed for 24/7 operation. In the manufacture of typical SiPh components, deviations are less than 0.02 dB.