In a study led by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), scientists announced that they have developed a new material and manufacturing process for artificial muscles, which they say are stronger and more flexible than naturally occurring muscles.
More flexible stronger artificial muscles
The team used commercially available chemicals and an ultraviolet light curing process to create an improved acrylic acid-based material that is more flexible, adjustable, and easier to scale without losing strength and durability.
The acrylic acid used in the material allowed more hydrogen bonds to form, making the material more flexible, while the team changed the crosslinking between polymer chains, making the elastomers softer and more flexible. With these improvements, the researchers were able to produce a high-performance dielectric elastomer (PHDE).
The resulting thin and malleable PHDE was then sandwiched between two electrodes to convert electrical energy into motion as an actuator. The researchers were able to make stacks ranging from 4 to 50 layers of PHDEs, which they say are about 35 micrometers thick.
“This flexible, versatile and efficient actuator could open the door to artificial muscles in next-generation robots or sensors and wearable technologies that can more accurately mimic and even enhance human-like motion and abilities,” said Qibing Pei, one of the study’s authors. said.
In the tests performed, it was observed that the new actuators were able to generate much more force than biological muscles and were 3 to 10 times more flexible.
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