Although Elon Musk recently admitted he had underestimated the human factor and that the teething troubles with the Tesla 3 are mainly due to excessive automation ("machines that build machines!"), the future of manufacturing still no doubt lies in robotics. ANYmal - a robot that has lately been attracting particularly high levels of media interest and was premiered in Hannover last year - will once again be a major visitor attraction at HANNOVER MESSE 2018. But this time, alongside ANYmal itself, its creator - the Zurich-based startup ANYbotics AG - will be training the spotlight on ANYdrive, without which the ANYmal robot could not move at all.

ANYdrive, the core technology in ANYmal, is an innovative, flexible robot joint that combines the motor, gears, titanium springs, sensors and intelligent motor electronics in a compact unit that is sealed with IP67 protection. ANYdrive's innovative design enables highly dynamic movements and collision maneuvers without any damage from impulsive contact forces. At the same time, it supports highly sensitive, force-controlled interaction with its surroundings. This makes it a particularly attractive option for machines that interact with humans, such as collaborative and mobile robots and exoskeletons.