Artimus Robotics
Table of Contents

⚠ Disclaimer: This entry may be incomplete, out of date, or inaccurate. It is AI-maintained on a best-effort basis. Do not rely on it as a sole source — verify claims independently using the sources listed below.

Summary

Artimus Robotics is a Boulder, Colorado–based company commercializing HASEL (Hydraulically Amplified Self-healing ELectrostatic) actuators — a soft, electrically driven “artificial muscle” technology — spun out of the University of Colorado Boulder around 2018 by a team of mechanical engineering PhDs and their faculty advisor. Unlike conventional motors, gearboxes, and pneumatic/hydraulic cylinders that dominate the rest of the Actuators section, HASEL actuators use thin plastic pouches filled with a dielectric liquid, driven by electrostatic (high-voltage, low-current) forces to produce controllable contracting or expanding motion — eliminating the compressors, valves, and hoses required by pneumatic systems while offering high mechanical compliance (“softness”) and self-sensing capability. The company has shipped 1,000+ actuators, holds 13 patents, and has been funded by a mix of venture capital and US government sources including the Navy, Army, NASA, and DOE’s ARPA-E program.

Key Facts

  • Founded: ~2018 (as a University of Colorado Boulder spinout)
  • HQ: 2985 Sterling Ct, Suite B, Boulder, CO 80301
  • Type: Private, venture-backed
  • Business model: Component/subsystem supplier — sells contracting and expanding HASEL actuators plus proprietary high-voltage driving electronics (amplifiers with integrated power supplies and digital controllers) to OEMs and integrators
  • Value Chain Layer: Component/subsystem supplier (novel actuator technology category — soft/electrohydraulic, distinct from BLDC motors, harmonic drives, and hydraulic cylinders documented elsewhere in this section)
  • Track record (company-reported): 1,000+ actuators shipped; 13 patents; 30 corporate sponsorships; 12 government contracts
  • Target markets: Underwater/maritime robotics (pressure-tolerant, silent, non-magnetic), haptics (tactile feedback devices), industrial automation and robotics, medical devices, automotive
  • Funders (company-reported, as of 2022 announcement): US Navy (direct contracts), US Army SBIR, NASA SBIR, National Science Foundation SBIR ($225,000 Phase I grant, 2020), DOE ARPA-E

What It Is / How It Works

HASEL actuators combine a flexible polymer pouch, a liquid dielectric, and electrodes: applying a high-voltage, low-current electric field generates electrostatic (Maxwell stress) forces that displace the liquid and deform the pouch, producing linear contraction or expansion depending on actuator geometry. This differs fundamentally from the BLDC-motor-plus-gearbox architecture that dominates conventional robot joints (see Actuators overview): HASEL actuators are inherently soft and compliant, silent in operation, and — per company claims — capable of self-sensing force and displacement without additional sensors, since the actuator’s own electrical properties change measurably with strain. Artimus markets both “contracting” and “expanding” actuator product lines plus standalone multichannel high-voltage electronics (amplifiers with integrated power supplies) for customers building their own HASEL-driven systems.

The company’s stated priority applications are underwater robotics (where HASEL’s non-magnetic, pressure-tolerant, silent characteristics are differentiating versus electric motors, which struggle with magnetic signature and pressure housings at depth), haptics (expressive tactile feedback), and general industrial/robotic automation where simplified linear motion without compressors or gearboxes is valuable. A February 2026 company announcement stated Artimus was launching “next-generation artificial muscles” and actively seeking partners to evaluate the technology in markets requiring dexterous robotic manipulation — suggesting an expansion push into humanoid/manipulation applications, an area of intense investor interest across the broader Robotics section (see Robotic Hands & Dexterous Manipulation).

Notable Developments

  • 2026-02 (approx.): Announced the launch of next-generation artificial muscles and an active search for partners to evaluate the technology in markets requiring dexterous robotic manipulation — signaling an expansion beyond underwater/haptics into humanoid-adjacent manipulation applications.
  • 2022-07-27: Announced $3.5M+ in new funding (mix of private capital and US government contracts/grants — Navy, Army SBIR, NASA SBIR, DOE ARPA-E) earmarked for actuator performance, lifetime/reliability, and self-sensing “intelligence” improvements, plus low-cost driving-electronics development; company stated plans to double headcount and facility size within 12 months. At the time, CEO was Dr. Tim Morrissey; CTO was Dr. Eric Acome.
  • 2020-06: Received a $225,000 NSF SBIR Phase I grant as a CU Boulder spinout, per University of Colorado Venture Partners reporting.

Note on leadership timeline: The company’s current “About” page (reviewed July 2026) lists Dr. Eric Acome as CEO/Cofounder, a change from the 2022 press release, which named Dr. Tim Morrissey as CEO and Dr. Acome as CTO. The exact date of this leadership transition was not confirmed in this review — treat as current as of the company’s own site but verify directly if the timing matters.

Key People

Eric Acome, PhD — CEO, Co-founder

  • Role: Chief Executive Officer (per company site, reviewed July 2026); previously CTO (as of the 2022 funding announcement)
  • LinkedIn: Not found via public search in this review — verify directly
  • Education: PhD Mechanical Engineering, CU Boulder (2020)
  • Career: Co-founded Artimus Robotics circa 2018 out of CU Boulder’s Rady Mechanical Engineering program; has spent years engaging directly with commercial customers to identify HASEL application requirements

Tim Morrissey, PhD — Co-founder (former CEO)

  • Role: Co-founder; CEO as of the company’s 2022 funding announcement — current title as of this review’s date is unconfirmed
  • LinkedIn: Not found via public search in this review
  • Education: PhD Mechanical Engineering, CU Boulder (2019)

Shane Mitchell, PhD — CTO, Co-founder

  • Role: Chief Technology Officer (per company site)
  • LinkedIn: Not found via public search in this review
  • Education: PhD Mechanical Engineering, CU Boulder

Nick Kellaris, PhD — CRO, Co-founder

  • Role: Chief Revenue Officer (per company site)
  • LinkedIn: Not found via public search in this review

Christoph Keplinger, PhD — CSO, Co-founder

  • Role: Chief Scientific Officer; CU Boulder faculty member (Assistant/Associate Professor) whose lab originated HASEL technology; also holds an appointment at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
  • LinkedIn: Not found via public search in this review

People — Last Reviewed: 2026-07-26

No LinkedIn profile URLs could be confirmed via public search for any named individual in this review; all should be verified directly before citing elsewhere.

Claim Verification

Claim: 1,000+ actuators shipped, 13 patents, 30 corporate sponsorships, 12 government contracts

Status: Unverified (company self-reported “About” page statistics; no independent audit identified)

Supporting sources:

Summary: These are company-published summary statistics displayed on the “About” page without supporting itemized detail (e.g., a public patent list or named government contract registry entries). Patent counts could in principle be verified against USPTO records, but that cross-check was not performed in this review. Treat as company-reported until independently confirmed.

Sources

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