Silica
Actuators that measure real force at the robot joint, down to the weight of a paperclip.
Silica builds robot actuators with a torque sensor at the joint itself, where it meets the load, instead of estimating force from motor current the way most robots do. That's precise enough to feel something as light as a paperclip, versus a tennis ball for typical current-based estimates, so every demonstration or contact gets recorded as real force rather than a guess. The Q Series is open for pre-order now, with production starting January 2027. The founding team comes from Apple, backed by Y Combinator, Founders Inc. and UP.Partners.
What holds up
- +Measures torque directly at the joint, not estimated from motor current — real force, not a guess.
- +Sensitive enough to feel something as light as a paperclip, where typical actuators need a tennis ball.
- +Backed by Y Combinator, Founders Inc. and UP.Partners, with a founding team from Apple.
Mind the limits
- −Q Series is pre-order only — production doesn't start until January 2027.
- −No pricing shown on the page — you book a call or submit a pre-order to find out.
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