Artificial Muscle
Soft and flexible actuators capable of lifting heavy weight, like human muscles.
About the Technology
Soft actuators, the “artificial muscle” technology, are essential for the development of the emerging fields like soft robotics, exoskeleton, and intelligent textiles. Despite their potential, current soft actuators all suffered from low lifting energy density, hindering practical applications. The market opportunity for intelligent textiles market alone was estimated to be around $5.55 billion. Our mission is to develop cost-effective soft actuators that can generate 10 times the energy density of existing solutions. Our actuators maintain the essential qualities of being lightweight, stretchability, large actuation distances, low hysteresis, and easy integration with sensors. Imagine a world where soft robotics and skin-like wearable technologies are everywhere, offering unparalleled flexibility and efficiency.
Team Members
Press:
- New Shape Memory Polymer Stores Six Times More Energy than Others (AZoM.com, published Sept. 9, 2021)
- Heat-Activated Plastic Muscles Can Lift 5000 Times Their Weight (Interesting Engineering, published Sept. 18, 2021)