Ghost Robotics has launched a new manipulator arm for its Vision 60 Quadruped Unmanned Ground Vehicle (Q-UGV), expanding the robot’s operational capabilities with precise and durable manipulation.

The lightweight, modular arm is mounted on top of the Vision 60 and allows the quadruped to carry out complex tasks such as opening doors, retrieving objects, handling equipment, and interacting with its surroundings. Featuring six degrees of freedom (DoF) and a fully backdrivable design, the arm delivers smooth, force-sensitive control while matching the ruggedness of the robot’s legged platform, according to the company.

Figure 1. Ghost Robotics Debuts New Manipulator Arm for Vision 60 Quadruped

“Our mission at Ghost Robotics is to keep people out of harm’s way,” said Gavin Kenneally, co-founder and CEO of Ghost Robotics. “We already deploy legged robots for some of the most demanding environments. With the addition of manipulation capabilities, these robots can now interact with the world directly—providing first responders, warfighters, and inspectors with a safer, more capable solution for hazardous or hard-to-reach operations.” Figure 1 shows Ghost Robotics Debuts New Manipulator Arm for Vision 60 Quadruped.

“The arm is designed for easy field installation by customers, attaching via captive fasteners and included connectors,” Kenneally told The Robot Report. “Unlike some competitors’ systems, the robot does not need to be shipped back to Ghost for arm installation.”

The manipulator is powered directly by the robot’s main battery, which may slightly reduce overall endurance depending on how it is used, Kenneally added.

“The arm comes standard with a multi-purpose gripper optimized for opening doors and basic manipulation tasks,” he said. “Modularity is a core design principle at Ghost, so the grippers are built to be easily replaceable—whether due to damage from heavy use or to accommodate future specialized grippers developed by Ghost, similar to how the robot’s treads can be swapped.”

The New Arm Unlocks Expanded Capabilities

Ghost Robotics said the addition of a manipulator arm significantly broadens the Vision 60’s usefulness across defense, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), disaster response, inspection, manufacturing, and other industrial applications that require remote manipulation.

“While the Vision 60 already excels in outdoor environments, many customers needed the robot to move through doors, remove obstacles, and handle small objects,” Kenneally said. “That’s why we designed the arm as a fully integrated part of the Vision 60—within the software, it appears as a fifth leg.” He added that an unexpected use case quickly emerged: customers began using the arm as a periscope to gain a higher viewpoint, allowing the robot to see at human eye level or around corners and obstructions. “Based on that feedback, we added additional cameras to the arm’s end effector,” he said.

The Vision 60 is an all-weather, all-terrain quadruped designed with modular payloads, waterproof construction, and a field-repairable architecture. The platform can be equipped with mission-specific sensors, cameras, and communications systems, and now includes support for the new manipulator arm. According to Ghost Robotics, the Vision 60 is currently deployed by the U.S. Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force, as well as commercial customers in sectors such as energy, data centers, and construction.

Source: THE ROBOT REPORT

Cite this article:

Janani R (2025), Ghost Robotics Unveils Manipulator Arm for Vision 60 Quadruped, AnaTechMaz, pp. 335