Tendon the Achilles tendon stretches as the ankle joint dorsiflexes. During the last portion of the stride, as the foot plantar-flexes (pointing the toes down), the stored elastic energy is released. Furthermore, because the tendon stretches, the muscle is able to function with less or even no change in length, allowing the muscle to generate greater force. The mechanical properties of the tendon are dependent on the collagen fiber diameter and orientation. The collagen fibrils are parallel to each other and closely packed, but show a wave-like appearance due to planar undulations, or crimps, on a scale of several micrometers. In
Tendon-driven robot models and tools for simulation control, data acquisition and system investigation. The Anatomically Correct Testbed robotic hand uses tendons and woven finger extensor hoods to capture the biomechanical properties of the human hand. The tendons slide over 3D printed bones matching human bone shapes, reproducing the variable moment arms and some of the tendon network interactions found in the human hand. The tendons are actuated by direct drive (without gearing), allowing them to spool out freely when other tendons oppose them in the skeleton. Tendon-driven robot Tendon-driven robots (TDR) are robots whose limbs mimic biological musculoskeletal systems. They use plastic