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Tractonomy
Your mechanical friend for towing carts and pallets within your work area.
Tractonomy, a Belgian robotics company, specializes in workplace robots that automate the transport of carts and pallets, reducing manual labor for tasks that require strength but offer limited value. Designed for logistics and production, their towing robots follow pre-set routes, transporting loads of up to 600 kg autonomously, making them leaders in a field often reliant on more hands-on solutions.
With console-based setup, each robot follows its own route, minimizing collisions and easing workflows. By alleviating physical strain, especially for older employees, Tractonomy’s robots enable longer, more comfortable work conditions.
Keshav, the founder, noticed early on that there was a growing demand for automating tasks traditionally performed by humans through robotics and automation. Recognizing this market need, he and his colleagues began to brainstorm the perfect solution. They created prototypes to explore the best approach to build the ultimate robot. Initially, they crafted their own PCBs, but as Keshav and his team were not specialists in PCB design, they quickly realized they needed external expertise.
Before handing over the project, they conducted a brainstorming session to outline all the essential features and capabilities the robot needed. Once the key aspects were clear, they began searching for a partner to help develop the necessary electronic components.
Keshav and his team had a clear vision for their robot. They knew what features it needed, how it should move, and how it should respond to different conditions. The only challenge was figuring out how to create the right electronic components. The robot consisted of two types of electronic components: off-the-shelf components, like pre-built PCBs that could be repurposed, and custom components that had to be designed from scratch.
VAEngineering took the specifications from Tractonomy and got to work. VAEngineering drafted a list of questions and built prototypes to demonstrate how he planned to approach the design. When Keshav and his team reviewed these, they were impressed and knew they had found the right partner to achieve their goal.
Building a robot might sound simple, but it is anything but. There were many factors to consider, and a significant number of PCBs and other electronic components had to be built. The main challenge was creating a PCB for each functionality to ensure the processes could be controlled effectively. With multiple PCBs, they needed to communicate with each other seamlessly. Each component had to be managed properly, with a strong focus on optimizing energy management.
Every step of the build process was carefully monitored and tested to ensure all critical aspects were handled correctly, minimizing potential future issues. If any problems arose and were identified immediately, they were addressed internally by VAEngineering. When the robot was operational at Tractonomy, any issues that came up were quickly communicated to Thomas, who promptly worked on finding a suitable solution.
No external labs were needed for testing the electronics. VAEngineering conducted all tests in-house, as they had all the necessary equipment available. This internal testing process ensured flexibility and speed throughout the development phase.
From start to finish, VAEngineering provided the electronic solutions for Tractonomy’s towing robot. In the early stages, many components had to be developed from scratch, presenting significant challenges. Now that the robot is functional, there is still room for new ideas and innovations that can be integrated into the robot. Both Tractonomy and VAEngineering continue to explore new opportunities to further improve the robot.
Keshav knew he couldn’t design everything himself, so he started looking for a new partner for electronics design. He sought someone based in Belgium who could deliver the desired results.
One day, a friend recommended a young electronics specialist, Thomas from VAEngineering. Initially, Keshav was a bit skeptical but decided to give it a chance, a decision he did not regret.
When I first spoke with Thomas from VAEngineering, I was very impressed by his communication and the projects he and his team had accomplished. They had worked on some very complex projects, including those in the aerospace industry. I know firsthand how challenging such projects can be, so I quickly felt confident about this collaboration. Throughout our partnership, I was very pleased with the flexibility, speed, and quality of the delivered results. Thomas is someone who thinks ahead and is proactive, making this collaboration enjoyable and allowing us to complete our project within eight months.
Thanks to our experience in a wide variety of electronics projects, we have everything we need to turn your idea into a user-friendly and functional final product.