Harvard and MIT’s Partnership Produces a New Artificial Muscle Inspired by Origami

November 2017 - Researchers from Harvard and MIT have published a new paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on their development of artificial muscles inspired by origami. The artificial muscles are novel in their radical design which draws from the ability of paper to expand and contract and maintain integrity, while greatly reducing costs of production. One of the unique features of this new technology is that it does not rely upon internal miniature pumps to power its movement, rather, it uses a compression design similar to folding paper. The system allows for rigid yet bendable structures such as plastic or metal to expand and contract with fine control and relatively little exertion. This ‘skeleton’ is enveloped in a polymer sheet, like a tight plastic covering, which can be filled with a liquid or a gas. This design allows the artificial muscle to be used in either medium allowing for further versatility. 

 

One 2.6 gram artificial muscle prototype was produced for under one dollar, and was able to lift a three kilogram weight (roughly 1,154x its own weight). Other prototypes were able to exert six times the stress and peak power density of human muscles. Though still in its early phases, the team is hopeful they can continue their research on building stronger, more efficient artificial muscles that work in a variety of applications. Source: John Timmer, Ars Technica.