Researchers created inexpensive robot muscles out of fibers from fishing lines and sewing thread.
A research team looked at how they could create artificial muscles that pack a much stronger punch than human muscles of the same size, a University of British Columbia news release reported.
The material could be used in "medical devices, humanoid robots, prosthetic limbs, or woven into fabrics," the news release reported.
"In terms of the strength and power of the artificial muscle, we found that it can quickly lift weights 100 times heavier than a same-sized human muscle can, in a single contraction," University of British Columbia Electrical and Computer Engineering professor John Madden, said in the news release. "It also has a higher power output for its weight than that of an automobile combustion engine."
In the past artificial muscles have been made from materials such as metal wires and carbon nanotubes, but these materials are expensive and give scientists little control.
These new muscles were made from "high-strength polymer [fibers] made from polyethylene and nylon," the news reported. These fibers are commonly found in everyday items such as sewing thread and fishing lines.
"The [fibers] were twisted into tight coils - like you would twist the rubber band of a model toy airplane - to create an artificial muscle that could contract and relax," the news release reported.
The muscles contract and relax according to temperature, allowing them to be controlled by an electrical heating element. This system has been demonstrated in the past when these muscles were used to control surgical forceps. The team believed the artificial muscles could also be used to help those with limited mobility.
The study was published in the journal Science. Madden worked on the project with PhD candidate Seyed Mohammad Mirvakil, the news release reported.
