ECCE

A one-eyed, wheeled humanoid robot whose wire-filled insides are exposed.
ECCE's body mimics a human's bones, tendons, and muscles. Photo: The Robot Studio

ECCE is a humanoid robot that uses artificial bones, muscles, and tendons to move like you do. It can safely interact with people, including being hugged. That is, if anyone will ever want to hug it.

Creators

The Robot Studio and ECCEROBOT Project

Year
2009
Country
France 🇫🇷
Categories
Features
Meet ECCE, an "anthropomimetic" robot. Video: ECCE Robot Project

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Appearance

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Did you know?

ECCE stands for "Embodied Cognition and Compliant Engineering."

A black sensor bar sits in the head position of the robot.
ECCE gets a Kinect 3D sensor for eyes. Photo: The Robot Studio
The robot is at a trade fair booth, and wears a t-shirt, partly covering it's torso.
ECCE on display in 2010. Photo: The Robot Studio

History

The goal of the ECCEROBOT project is to create an anthropomimetic robot whose body moves and interacts with the physical world in the same way our flesh bodies do. The researchers used thermoplastic polymer, elastic cords, and other soft, flexible materials to build the torso, arms, and hands. The ECCE robot series was designed and built as part of the ECCEROBOT (Embodied Cognition in a Compliantly Engineered Robot) project, funded by the European Commission. The project produced three robots: ECCE1, the ECCEROBOT2 Design Study (EDS), and ECCE3. All robots were designed and built by The Robot Studio. Later robots included electronic components and control software designed by the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Additional software components for modeling, control, and analysis were produced by the University of Sussex, TUM, the University of Belgrade, and the University of Zurich. ECCE1 was unveiled in 2009; the EDS model was unveiled in 2010, and ECCE3 in 2011. ECCE3, which has simplified hands and neck, is mounted on a wheeled base and incorporates additional sensors, electronics, and software from the partner universities.

Close up of the robot's head.
Close-up of ECCE's Cyclops head. Photo: Patrick Knab
Close-up of the robot's five-fingered hand.
ECCE's tendon-driven hand. Photo: The Robot Studio

More Images

The robots arm is on a frame, and its hand holds an apple.
Teaching ECCE to grasp objects. Photo: The Robot Studio

Specs

Overview

Anthropomimetic design. Able to hold a conversation over Skype, with head direction and gestures controlled by the remote operator.

Status

Inactive

Year

2009

Website
Width
48 cm
Height
105 cm
Length
22 cm
Weight
26 kg
Sensors

Camera, microphone, muscle-length sensors, tension sensors, motor current and position sensors.

Actuators

DC motors

Degrees of Freedom (DoF)
60 (Hand: 2 DoF x 2; Arm: 2 DoF x 2; Shoulder: 9 DoF x 2; Shoulder blade: 5 DoF x 2; Head, neck, and spine: 24 DoF)
Materials

Plastic skeletal framework.

Compute

PC connected to a distributed microcontroller network by CAN bus or i2c.

Software

Custom firmware from the Robot Studio and TUM. Linux/PC software from several members of the project (including the ECCEOS tendon-driven robot simulator).

Power

12-V power supply

Cost
€250,000