'Max' the robot shows real muscle

17 June 2011

Science imitates life in 'Max', a humanoid robot, which takes its engineering cues from the workings of the human body. Officially named ECCEROBOT-2 by the University of Zurich’s Artificial Intelligence Lab, it is built upon a solid but flexible skeleton, covered with layers of mechanical tendons and muscle, mimicking their human counterparts using an elastic cord, attached to servo motors, which wind or unwind depending on the direction of spin.

No fewer than 80 maxon dc motors power the robot’s various actuators, offering high torque in a limited space. maxon motors were selected for the challenging task of keeping the elastic at exactly the right tension and to work against its natural pull.

There's more information about the ECCEROBOT-2 here.