  Massively parallel multi-object spectrographs are on the leading edge of
cosmology instrumentation. The highly successful Dark Energy Spectroscopic
Instrument (DESI) which begun survey operations in May 2021, for example, has
5,000 robotically-actuated multimode fibers, which deliver light from thousands
of individual galaxies and quasars simultaneously to an array of
high-resolution spectrographs off-telescope. The redshifts are individually
measured, thus providing 3D maps of the Universe in unprecedented detail, and
enabling precise measurement of dark energy expansion and other key
cosmological parameters. Here we present new work in the design and prototyping
of the next generation of fiber-positioning robots. At 6.2 mm center-to-center
pitch, with 1-2 um positioning precision, and in a scalable form factor, these
devices will enable the next generation of cosmology instruments, scaling up to
instruments with 10,000 to 25,000 fiber robots.
