Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Penn State University in Texas, USA, have created a new type of fiber that can perform like a muscle better in many ways than other options available today.
These muscle-like fibers are easy to make and recycle, the researchers say. In a new paper, researchers say these fibers, which they initially discovered while working on another project, are more efficient, flexible, and able to handle increased tension than those available on the market today. These fibers can be used in a variety of ways, including medicine and robotics.
“Can help people with weak arms gain movement and strength”
Robotic arms made with this type of fiber help people with weak arms gain movement and strength. It can be used as an auxiliary exoskeleton to assist Another potential application, the researchers say, is with a type of self-destructing bandage that could be used in surgical procedures and degrade naturally inside the body after the wound has healed.
Robert Hickey, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State and author of the paper, states, “Actuators are materials that will change or deform under any external stimuli, such as parts of a machine that will contract, bend, or expand. And robotics. “We need to develop soft, lightweight versions of these materials that basically act like artificial muscles. Our work is really about finding a new way to do it.”
The fiber material is known as a block copolymer. To create this, it is necessary to put the polymer in a solvent and then add water. One part of the polymer is hydrophilic (attracts water), while the other part is hydrophobic (water resistant). The hydrophobic parts of the polymer group come together to protect themselves from water, forming the fiber’s structure. Then there are the fiber fibers that can mimic the muscle the researchers created.
The researchers are just at the beginning of the project. Their goal is to learn more about the polymer’s structural changes and to improve some of its actuation properties, including its energy density and velocity. You can see the original article and detailed version of the research here. What are you thinking? Please do not forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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