The World Humanoid Robot Games, currently taking place in Beijing until August 17, are showcasing agile robots sprinting, jumping, balancing and recovering. We’re fascinated by the materials behind these remarkable machines, and have put together insights on how the materials we supply can support the wider robotics industry, from early prototypes to field‑ready systems.
The Athlete’s Bill of Materials - Frame, Joints and Surfaces
This section maps core structural and tribological choices to typical humanoid loads and duty cycles, focusing on materials Goodfellow supplies.
Structural frame and load paths
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Aluminium 6xxx (e.g., 6061) for chassis and housings: strength-to-weight, machinability, field repairability.
- Titanium Ti-6Al-4V (grade 5) for high‑stress nodes (hip blocks, knee pivots, gear carriers): specific strength and fatigue resistance.
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Stainless steels (e.g., 17‑4PH) for shafts, pins and localized wear components: hardness and corrosion resistance.
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PEEK and carbon-reinforced composites for covers and brackets: stiffness and damping without a mass penalty.
Joints, bearings and surfaces
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Low‑friction liners/spacers: PTFE (unfilled or carbon‑filled) for low friction and wear.
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Solid lubricants: hexagonal boron nitride (h‑BN) for dry, clean tribology.
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Hard topcoats: diamond‑like carbon (DLC) on pins, gears and tracks for abrasion resistance at low friction.
Actuation options
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High‑torque electric motors built around rare‑earth magnet alloys and high‑purity copper conductors.
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Shape memory alloy elements using Nitinol for compact, silent micro‑actuators and compliant grippers.
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Soft interfaces and skins in silicone/PDMS for safe human interaction.
Powering the Athlete - Batteries, Thermal and Electronics
Here we outline the materials behind energy storage, heat management and reliable power electronics for sustained performance.
Battery module materials
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Current collectors: high‑purity copper (anode) and aluminium (cathode) foils in controlled thickness and temper.
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Electrodes and additives: graphite and advanced carbons; suitable metal oxides/phosphates; conductive fillers and binders.
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Seals and gasketing: PTFE and EPDM for chemical resistance and long‑term compression set.
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Interconnects and insulation: copper/nickel foils, busbars and tab stock; polyimide films for electrical isolation.
Thermal management (cells and inverters)
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Spread and sink heat with flexible graphite foils under packs and PCBs.
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Use aluminium nitride (AlN) ceramics for high thermal conductivity with electrical insulation in driver/inverter substrates.
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Tame transient hotspots with tungsten‑copper (W‑Cu) or molybdenum spreaders; bridge gaps with compliant silicone films.
Power electronics and wiring hygiene
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Substrates and insulation: AlN and alumina for power stages; polyimide for flex circuits around joints.
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Shielding and return paths: copper foils/tapes for electromagnetic containment; graphite layers for thermal and EM co‑benefits.
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High‑temperature wiring: tinned or nickel‑plated copper with PTFE/polyimide insulation.
Starter Bill of Materials - System Modules
Use this concise table to map body parts to key sub‑assemblies and materials. It’s intentionally short: start here, then refine per load case and manufacturing constraints.
| Body part | Sub-assembly | Primary materials | Why they win |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower-limb | Hip and gearbox carrier | Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5) | High specific strength and fatigue resistance |
| Lower-limb | Link arms | Aluminum 6061 PEEK |
Light, stiff; easy to machine; inherent damping |
| Lower-limb | Joint liners | PTFE | Low friction, wear resistant |
| Lower-limb | Motors and windings | NdFeB magnets Copper (OFHC) |
Torque density and conductivity |
| Upper-limb | Shoulder/elbow nodes | Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5) | Strength-to-weight; fatigue resistance |
| Upper-limb | Forearm links | Aluminum 6061 PEEK |
Stiffness with low mass |
| Upper-limb | Gripper contact surfaces | Silicone/PDMS Textured PTFE |
Secure grip; low wear |
| Upper-limb | Tactile sensors | PVDF films | Thin, conformal sensing |
| Torso | Spine/rib structure | Aluminum 6061 Ti-6Al-4V |
Stiff, serviceable, lightweight |
| Torso | Battery pack | Copper Aluminium Flexible graphite Silicone Nickel Polyimide Aluminum nitride Aluminum 6061 |
Energy density with controlled heat and robust interconnect |
| Torso | Electronics bay | Aluminium Copper shields Polyimide |
EMI containment and harness reliability |
| Head | Neck gimbal and mounts | Ti-6Al-4V 17-4PH PTFE |
Strength, wear resistance, low friction |
| Head | Vision window | Sapphire Fused silica |
Optical clarity; scratch resistance |
| Head | Compute module | AlN or alumina W-Cu/Mo spreaders Copper Polyimide |
Heat removal, electrical insulation, EMI hygiene |
How Goodfellow Helps - From Specification to Fielded Prototypes
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Catalogue breadth: 170,000+ SKUs across metals, alloys, polymers, ceramics, carbons and composites in foil, sheet, rod, wire, tube, powder, fibre and target forms.
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Custom and conversion: non‑standard thicknesses, slitting, laminating, bonding, sputtering targets and more.
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Microfabrication: Potomac Photonics for laser micromachining of foils, films, thin metals and ceramics (channels, flexures, encoder tracks, battery tabs).
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Analytics and reliability: Suisse Technology Partners for materials testing, failure analysis and formulation optimisation.
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Quality assurance: Bureau of Analysed Samples (BAS) certified reference materials for alloy verification and calibration.