Unveiling the Tree of Robots: A new taxonomy for understanding robotic diversity - The Robot Report

Researchers at the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed the “Tree of Robots,” a novel taxonomy and evaluation scheme designed to measure and compare the sensitivity of autonomous robots. Sensitivity, which is critical for safe and flexible human-robot interaction, previously lacked a standardized assessment method. This new framework enables the categorization of various robotic systems—including industrial robots, cobots, soft robots, and tactile robots—based on 25 specific measurements related to physical contact sensitivity, such as force alignment and safety in human interaction. The resulting spider diagrams provide an accessible visual summary of a robot’s sensitivity performance, facilitating better understanding and comparison even for non-experts. The Tree of Robots draws inspiration from Darwin’s Tree of Life, illustrating the diversity and specialization of robotic “species” according to their design and operational environments. By analyzing single-armed robots from different manufacturers, the researchers identified distinct capabilities related to sensors, motors, and control