Dexterous Arm for Non-Terrestrial Environments

Objectif

Fluid Wire Robotics (FWR), a 2024 spin-off from Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, aims to industrialize and flight-qualify its Fluid Wire actuation system to deliver Europe’s first affordable, standardized manipulator for routine in-orbit servicing and in-space assembly. The DANTE proposal targets the core limitation of orbital infrastructure: more than 11,700 active satellites remain unserviceable, causing premature retirements, tens to hundreds of millions in replacement costs, and growing orbital debris. Current robotic systems are bespoke, expensive, and slow to deploy, leaving European SMEs and servicers without viable technology.
FWR eliminates the trade-off between performance and survivability by centralizing motors and electronics in a shielded Actuation Unit. Motion is transmitted through sealed Fluid-Wire conduits to a lightweight, passive arm. This design withstands radiation, vacuum, and temperature extremes while enabling precise motion, intrinsic force feedback, simpler integration, and reduced non-recurring costs. The result is a modular, multipurpose platform for inspection, docking, capture, refueling, and assembly. The technology is at TRL 6 and secured by three patents under exclusive license.
The DANTE proposal will deliver a space-grade engineering qualification model, complete environmental testing, and perform an in-orbit demonstration to secure flight heritage. On this basis, FWR will establish EU-based production of commercial flight models, expand integration and support capacity, and scale subsystem sales. The DANTE proposal aligns directly with the EIC programme on innovative in-orbit operations and resilient EU space infrastructure. FWR provides an affordable, interface-agnostic, robotic manipulator that enables inspection, repair, and upgrades, extending satellite lifetimes, reducing replacement expenditure and debris, and reinforcing European resilience and strategic autonomy in space.