A conventional contact type brake system which uses a hydraulic system has mny Problems such as time delay response due to pressure build-up, brake pad wear due to contact movement, bulky size, and low braking performance in high speed region. As vehicle speed increases, a more powerful brake system is required to ensure vehicle safety and reliability. In this work, a contactless brake system of an eddy current type is proposed to overcome problems. Optimal torque control which minimizes a braking distance is investigated with a scaled-down model of an eddy current type brake. It is possible to realize optimal torque control when a maximum friction coefficient (or desired slip ratio) corresponding to road condition is maintained. Braking force analysis for a scaled-down model is done theoretically and experimentally compensated. To accomplish optimal torque control of an eddy current type brake system, a sliding mode control technique which is, one of the robust nonlinear control technique is developed. Robustness of the sliding mode controller is verified by investigating the braking performance when friction coefficient is varied. Simulation and experimental results will be presented to show that it has superior performance compared to the conventional method.