The development of HyQ2Max has been dedicated to maximising strength, robustness and versatility. This meant adding a far larger joint range than previously seen, a huge increase in the available torque in the joints. 

The HyQ2Max robot is an improved version of the hydraulic quadruped robot HyQ. The main improvements are increased reliability and robustness of the robot’s hardware, larger joint range of motion and higher joint output torque, at zero weight cost overall. Reliability and robustness against impacts and dirt are fundamental requirements for a legged vehicle performing real-world tasks. HyQ2Max is designed to be robust against impacts and dirt. All sensitive parts like sensors, valves, actuators and electronics are protected inside the structure. The torso is constructed with a frame made of a strong aerospace-grade aluminium alloy (7000 series), tubular roll frames in the front and back, and light-weight glass fibre/Kevlar covers that protect the onboard computer and hydraulics. The four legs are built of the same aluminium alloy as the torso. The upper leg consists of two rugged halves forming a shell that acts as protection and structural element. The lower leg is made of a light-weight yet robust aluminium tube (Semini, 2015).

For more details on HyQ2Max you can read our T-MECH journal paper of 2016 (click to download), as well as this ICAR 2015 conference paper  and a recent Reuters article of December 2015.