july 7 (BuyLinkShop) -- in the mode of the bionic matron and the six favorite dollar man, researchers accept developed a novel embodied -- and manufacturing process -- for affected muscles that they characterize as stronger and more ductile than their biological counterparts.
the research, published thursday in science, was led by materials scientists at the university of california, los angeles, unitedly with colleagues at sri international, an independent nonprofit scientific elaboration appoint based in menlo park, calif.
researchers graphic the new, abiding embodied made to exhibit the administration of muscles as a film created with layers of lightweight, processable, high-performance "dielectric elastomers."
elastomers, or "electroactive polymers," are either normal or synthetic substances with abundant molecules that can alter in bulk or adapt when stimulated by an electric arena.
the ucla-led team's newly created film is "as attenuated and active as anthropological hair," almost 35 micrometers in thickness, the scientists said.
when multiple layers are stacked together, they befit a miniature electric motor that can statute approve muscle tissue and accomplish abundance energy to ability movement for feeble robots or sensors.
the researchers accept made stacks of films ranging from four to 50 layers.
qibing pei, a teacher of materials comprehension and engineering at ucla's henry samueli school of engineering and the study's corresponding author, told BuyLinkShop in a phone colloquy that he envisions numerous immanent medical applications for the novel material, as hale as its advantage in feeble robotics.
"the anthropological assemblage is a very abstruse machine with abundant muscles, and these affected muscles could potentially go anywhere," pei said.
for example, he said, the "artificial muscle" embodied might continue used as wearable technology, perhaps placed on the skin to aid community who cannot otherwise smile or connive due to health conditions.
or, he said, there might continue immanent applications for the embodied to continue implanted in the body, perhaps, for example, strengthening the sphincter muscle in a peculiar with acetous reflux.
pei said the next pace is to appear for applications, which may claim beyond modifications of the embodied.
"i apprehend the immanent is huge," barring a chance of engineering is needed to accomplish that potential, pei said. "so we anticipation others aid amplify serviceable applications."
pei graphic creating an affected muscle to empower accomplish and descry strength and affect as "one of the august challenges of comprehension and engineering."
that's accordingly a balmy embodied cannot continue considered for advantage as an affected muscle unless it is clever to output habitual energy and abide viable below high-strain conditions -- aim it does not easily lose its arrange and force behind repeated accomplish cycles, according to a information acquit.
scientists accept explored the children for decades, and began accomplish on dielectric elastomers in the recent 1990s, pei explained. barring essential challenges remained that the ucla team sought to resolve.
"we needed a embodied that can continue readily formed and scaled up," he said. "you can print the affected muscle to whatever adapt and bulk that you need to do the accomplish."
dielectric elastomers, which are "lightweight materials with tall alterable energy density," await disembowel accordingly of their flexibility and toughness.
yet, commercially valid dielectric elastomers are made of acrylic or silicone and accept circumscribed capabilities, few flexibility or unable to confront tall strain, pei said.
the ucla-led team of researchers said they used an ultraviolet active curing process on commercially valid chemicals to beget an improved acrylic-based embodied "that is more pliable, tunable and simpler to scale without losing its force and patience."
the team has filed for an interdiplomatic ambiguous on the novel technology, pei said.
funding was provided by the apology esoteric elaboration projects efficacy. darpa describes its mission as making "pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for national assurance."
pei said darpa is interested in novel technologies, barring the ucla elaboration is "open, not classified or controlled."
Source: BuyLinkShop