Bionic robots

Case1: Companion robot "PARO", a "robot seal" that heals the elderly

In a nursing center in Northern Europe, an elderly person with Alzheimer's disease is emotionally unstable and rejects communication every day. Until one day, the paramedics put a "baby seal" in her arms. It blinks, makes soft calls, and responds to touch. This is not an animal, but a bionic robot "PARO".

It simulates animal interaction mechanisms through bionic design, alleviates loneliness and stabilizes mood, and has been widely used in psychotherapy for the elderly in Europe and Japan.

Case 2: Humanoid robotic arm helps the assembly line – Festo BionicCobot

Festo has designed a bionic robotic arm called the BionicCobot, which mimics the seven degrees of freedom of a human arm and works in collaboration with workers on industrial assembly lines, such as gripping flexibly, inserting and removing screws and placing delicate components.

Unlike traditional rigid robotic arms, it is soft-moving, safe, and can work next to humans without guardrails – because it mimics the "force-displacement coordination" of human hand muscles.

These two cases show that:

• Bionic robots are not science fiction, but intelligent systems that have truly entered life and industry

• Whether its action is natural and whether the control is accurate depends on the stable drive of high-performance motors

• For engineers, choosing the right motor is the first step in deciding whether the bionic system will come alive

Why do we need bionic robots for human R&D?

The core motivation behind the development of bionic robots can be summarized in three points: understanding nature, expanding capabilities, and serving humans.

1. Imitate nature in order to solve real-world problems more efficiently

Nature is an "engineering paradigm" that has evolved and optimized over hundreds of millions of years. Birds flying, fish swimming, and the flexibility of human arms are all optimal. "Imitation" is the initial means of learning, long-term imitation, so that any living thing can learn.

By imitation:

We can make robots move through complex terrain like animals (e.g., snake-like robots navigating through the rubble of an earthquake)

Let the robotic arm perform micro-operations like a human hand (e.g. grasping small components in a microelectronics factory)

2. Break through the limitations of traditional robots and enter the "real world"

Although traditional industrial robots are precise, they are stiff and inflexible, and cannot work safely in a human environment.

Through a more flexible structure (imitating muscles and joints) and a more natural control logic (imitating neural control), bionic robots can coexist and cooperate with humans, enter complex environments such as medical care, services, and families, reduce the frequency of workers to fight against difficult environments, and expand the scope of exploration and production of natural people.

3. Help humans compensate for physical and environmental limitations

Bionic robots can act as an "extension of the body" to replace human work under extreme conditions.

For example, exoskeleton robots help paralyzed people walk, bionic arms allow amputees to regain their grip, and fish-like robots explore and monitor in the deep ocean without the need for divers

The development of bionic robots is not only "cool", but also a critical path for robots to move from closed scenes to the real world. To achieve these high-degree, smooth and stable movements, it is necessary to rely on a high-performance motor system – this is the core value of BG Motor's empowerment of bionic robots.

Bionic robot type:

1. Intelligent underwater/amphibious robot (fish/lobster/scorpion bionic life)

Fish-type robots (e.g. Festo Robotic Fish): mimicking the swing of a fish's tail for underwater monitoring and investigation

Amphibious/mite robots (e.g., ACMR5H snake robots): suitable for amphibious missions

2. Snakebot

It is connected by multiple joints in series, which can glide in extremely narrow spaces, and is suitable for disaster search and rescue, pipeline inspection, and medical minimally invasive operation

3. Hexaped/eight-legged insect bionic robot

Similar to insects, it has strong off-road performance and modular design, suitable for complex terrain exploration or monitoring

4. Jumping robot (kangaroo bionic)

Festo BionicKangaroo, for example: Efficient jumping with elastic energy storage for dynamic bionics research

5. Bipedal walking robot (human-imitation/ostrich model)

Represents models such as Agility Robotics Cassie and Amazon also invested in, mimicking human or bird gaits for logistics, services, and rescue

6. Four-legged robot (robot dog)

For example, Boston Dynamics Spot, Unitree Go1/Go2, has high terrain adaptability and is used for patrol, reconnaissance, and delivery.

7. Humanoid (human-imitated) robot

For example, Honda ASIMO, UBTECH Walker X, Canbot service robot, Boston Atlas: used for human-computer interaction, service, scientific research, and collaboration

8. Exoskeleton and prosthetic limbs (wearable bionics)

Exoskeletons such as Ekso, ReWalk, HAL, etc., are used to assist in walking and strengthen strength, and are used in rehabilitation and industrial assistance.

9. Soft robots

Designed based on soft materials to imitate biological muscles or touch limbs, suitable for medical, biological interaction and other scenarios

Behind the flexible walking, there is a powerful small drive system

Quadruped robots, such as Boston Dynamics' Spot or Unitree's Go2, have 3~4 degrees of freedom on each leg and correspond to multiple high-performance motors, which must meet:

• High torque to support robot load start/jump/climb

• Respond quickly to changes in terrain

• Small size + low noise, suitable for leg structure and complex environment

• Long life, suitable for all-weather inspection and task load

BG Motor offers:

• Customized brushless DC planetary geared motor (encoder and brake can be integrated)

• IP65/68 protection, suitable for outdoor and dusty environments

• Fast response and low vibration to meet the needs of high-frequency walking action

Precise control of "muscles" from deep in the joints

In order to simulate the movements of human shoulders, elbows and wrists, humanoid robotic arms, such as the Festo BionicCobot or the 7-axis robotic arm for scientific research, require the following motors:

• Precise control + smooth output for smooth curve movements

• Miniaturized design with a compact joint structure

• It supports multi-degree of freedom control and real-time feedback with an encoder

• Low-noise operation, suitable for medical and collaborative environments

BG Motor offers:

• Micro brushless motor series (28~58mm diameter)

• The mounting hole position and shaft structure can be customized to accurately adapt to the joint structure

• It can be integrated with reducer, brake, encoder and drive to save space