Improved artificial muscles for robots

New artificial muscles developed by experts from the National University of Singapore, will allow to create more advanced robots, according to E & T.

Currently, most created robots strongmen have hydraulic systems that does not have high speed. Singapore scientists were able to develop artificial muscles that allow robots to move more naturally. Made using polymer materials, muscles are able to lift a load, 80 times their own weight. Thus, they can be stretched 5 times. Robots with these muscles will compete even ants, which have been known to lift a load, mass of which exceeds 20 times their own weight.

"We have developed materials like human muscle, responsive to electrical impulses," - says one of the authors of Adrian Koh. - "Artificial muscles flexible, elastic and can change in a fraction of a second like real muscle. Moreover, the new material has greater strength."

So far, artificial muscles have limited capabilities. They could stretch no more than three times, while they could lift a load whose weight does not exceed half of their own weight. New artificial muscle can transform kinetic energy into electrical energy.

Potential artificial muscle great Singaporean scientists believe. Potentially, these muscles are able to grow in length and 10 times to lift a load, the weight of which is 500 times higher than their own.