KAIST develops human-inspired elastomer muscle fibre

Daejeon, South Korea – Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) have developed actuator fibres that can surpass human muscles in strength and toughness.

The fibres incorporate 2D graphene fillers in an ‘aligned liquid crystal elastomer matrix’ to produce systems that replicate human muscle”, said a KAIST statement.

The fibre exhibits “unprecedented” reversible percolation of graphene filler network under stable actuation along the alignment direction, explained KAIST.

The structure, thereby, exhibits  “a large reversible contraction similar to that in animal muscles, along with remote-controllability through use of lasers.”

Furthermore, the muscle, dubbed Hercules, can achieve 17 times higher work-capacity and six times higher power-density values than those of natural human muscles.

The research team has demonstrated the 'muscle' lifting a 1kg dumbbell and in an artificial inchworm, which won a race with its living counterpart, noted KAIST.

This is a “significant starting point” for developing artificial muscle materials for the robotics industry and wearable devices, said research lead prof Sang Ouk Kim.