Additive expertise helps maturation of Roboy the humanoid robot

The project, a European collaboration led by the Swiss Devanthro Society and the Technical University of Munich, has previously built a four-foot tall humanoid robot – Roboy Junior - in just nine months, complete with a set of artificial muscles and tendons designed to replicate human movement.

The Roboy robot was built with EOS’ 3D printing technology, and the project’s researchers are continuing to develop its muscles, joints and electronics, in a bid to improve the models until their dexterity, robustness and flexibility are comparable to that of humans.

The complete skeletal body structure of Roboy, which encases its bones and muscles, was built using EOS’ plastic additive manufacturing systems.

Using 3D printing technologies allows lightweight but complex structures to be produced, meaning functionality can be built into a component as it is being manufactured, reducing assembly steps, said Garth Stevenson, area sales manager for UK and Ireland at EOS.

“Industrial 3D printing allows for the efficient, cost-effective production of highly complex, light and stable structures through an iterative process,” he said.