TriOrb :: Ball-Driven Omnidirectional Mobile Platforms

TriOrb is a Japanese robotics startup founded in February 2023 and headquartered in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka. The company develops innovative ball-driven omnidirectional mobile platforms that enable highly flexible material transport in manufacturing environments. Emerging from research conducted at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), TriOrb focuses on overcoming the limitations of traditional wheeled or tracked autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).

At the core of TriOrb’s technology is its patented Ball-Driven System, which uses just three spheres and three motors to achieve true omnidirectional movement. The platforms can move freely in any direction, rotate on the spot, and deliver millimeter-level positioning accuracy. This design allows the robots to traverse narrow aisles, uneven floors, steps up to 10 mm high, and grooves up to 45 mm wide without requiring facility modifications. Payload capacity reaches 300 kg per unit in standard configurations, with cooperative operation between multiple units supporting loads up to 800 kg.

TriOrb’s solutions address three key industrial challenges. First, they enable reliable autonomous transport through tight or irregular spaces where conventional AMRs struggle. Second, they replace manual or crane-based handling of long or heavy items by coordinating multiple platforms. Third, they transform fixed robotic arms into mobile manipulators capable of precise docking and part delivery between processes.

The company’s primary product, referred to as TriOrb BASE, functions as a reconfigurable mobility platform that integrates with existing production equipment and mobile manipulators. It uses Visual SLAM navigation via four fisheye cameras and supports optional features such as obstacle detection, lift-up mechanisms, wireless charging, and remote emergency stops. Targeted at automotive, semiconductor, aerospace, and general manufacturing sectors, the technology helps manufacturers move away from rigid conveyor lines toward adaptable, demand-driven production systems.

With recent Series B funding bringing total capital to 4.23 billion yen and expansion into the U.S. market via a Detroit subsidiary, TriOrb is positioning itself as a key enabler of next-generation flexible automation.