The spinal cord is a miracle of nature, and it is a long way from being fully understood. At the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, a team is building robots to explore the secrets of the spine. Brushing teeth, making coffee, unlocking a door – our brain is the central processing unit for…
Walking with Robot Technology
The Taiwanese company FREE Bionics is committed to developing the best exoskeleton solutions and helping people all over the world. However, they need suitable drives. There are easier tasks than developing systems as complex as an exoskeleton. Exoskeletons need to be lightweight, compact, powerful, reliable, and easy to use. Many universities and engineers are currently…
Five Incredible Robot Animals
In millions of years of evolution, nature has produced many sophisticated locomotor systems that engineers use as inspiration for creating better robots. We show some current technical developments that are highly advanced. The bionic bird It might only be a toy, it’s anything but ordinary – the Bionic Bird not only looks like a bird,…
The Pace Maker
The Empower prosthesis by Ottobock helps its wearer regain lost freedom of movement – using a powerful brushless motor that releases the energy of a calf muscle at every step. Calf muscles are essential for walking and provide most of the energy needed for every step. People who’ve had a transtibial amputation therefore tire quickly…
We create a better world
Our society needs new ideas and technologies to solve the various problems we face in everyday life. Here small startups play an important role – four enterprises point like it goes. Clean energy from an altitude of 500 m Johannes loves kites. The passionate kitesurfer also sails the skies in his work, and has big…
The organic express of Lousanne
The bikers of Plateforme Bio Lokal supplies fresh organic vegetables to restaurants and bars – quickly and emissionfree. Even 200 kg of potatoes do not faze them. Here muscle power is indispensable. Even when an electric motor provides support. That is immediately apparent when one watches Charles-Louis Mourruau cycling up the steep street that leads…
Nature as prototype
In the past 30 years, industrial robots have increased the productivity and quality in mass production enormously and simultaneously reduced the production costs. Since 2005, the number of industrial robots installed annually have more than doubled, to more than 250,000 in 2015. However, the next evolution – or perhaps even revolution – in the field…
354.400 kWh from sunlight
The global climate problem demands that humans have a mindset focused on sustainability. All companies have a duty to implement environmentally friendly measures. And maxon motor is doing its part. From the bird’s-eye view, the large photovoltaic installations on the roofs of the maxon motor headquarters shine in the light of the sun. Photovoltaic systems…
Meet Roboy 2.0, the little humanoid robot
He is 4 years old and 1.40 meters tall, with a rather large head. He speaks fluent English and German. However, he can’t walk. He was last seen in Munich. Roboy, the little robot: Born in 2013, the humanoid robot with the large round eyes made his first appearance at the “Robots on Tour” exhibition…
The motor either turns or it doesn’t
Women are still vastly outnumbered in engineering professions. Why is that? And what can be done about it? Two female maxon engineers talk about their experience and share some advice. Petra Bründler (development engineer) and Lynn Braunschweig (technical project management) work in different units at the maxon motor headquarters in Switzerland. Their jobs are in…
Taking a closer look at these resources under the sea
The surface of the ocean conceals many secrets – unexplored depths, grotesque life forms, and precious resources. To find these resources, a Norwegian company has developed a technology for scanning the bottom of the ocean in greater detail. At a depth of 1000 meters, it is ice cold and dark. No natural light penetrates here.…
Young Engineers Program
The maxon Young Engineers Program (YEP) supports innovative projects that use electric drive systems. Share your vision with us so that it can become reality. Benefits for the participants As a participant in the program, you will enjoy a number of benefits: Motors, gearheads, and controllers at discounted prices or even free of charge. Technical…
Taking a closer look at blood
High-tech machines analyze human blood samples, detect coagulation disorders and thus help to save lives. The maxon sales company in France does not only supply the appropriate drives – in fact, it builds entire conveyor modules. A peek inside. Our blood is a fascinating fluid. It transports oxygen and nutrients, fends off foreign objects and…
600 meters below the ice
The kilometers-thick ice of the Antarctic holds many secrets. For decades, scientists have made use of ice-core drilling to research the history of the global climate. Among these scientists is a team from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). With a new technology, the researchers can drill into the ice eight times faster. The British organisation…
Under power: from “furka” to “gotthard”
From 0 to 100 km/h in 1.513 seconds – that’s a new world record for electrically powered vehicles. It was set by AMZ’s “grimsel” race car in June 2016. Their latest machine bears the name “gotthard. The project is backed by the Academic Motor Sports Club Zurich (AMZ), founded in 2006 by students of ETH…
Always improving: medtech, medical devices and advanced surgical methods
Every surgical operation has inherent risks. New technologies help to minimize these risks, with robotic assistance in eye operations or flexible tools for complex brain surgery. Medical technology is a field with very dynamic development. New devices and technologies reach the market every year. Current trends include stress reduction through advanced surgical methods, further minimization…