Muscle tissue innovated through 3D Printing could make robots more lifelike. A robot motorized by muscle tissue could improve how engineers plan to produce future robots for disaster-relief operations, exploration or construction, new research finds.
The 3D-printed "bio-bot," created by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has more accurate and specific control over its movements and a more dramatic series of motion. It can pilot and change its movement in response to its environment. The rectangular robot measures about 0.2 inches long, and is constructed from an elastic, jelly-type material and fixed with two strips of engineered muscle tissue on either end.
Skeletal muscle tissue is what drives human movement. It covers the bones and is attached by soft tendons that we can consciously manage.
The researchers integrated skeletal muscle tissue engineered from a mouse cell line into a 3D-printed soft robot. Soft robots are made from flexible rather than unbending material, allowing it to move and adapt in new environments.
By integrating skeletal tissue into a soft robot, the researchers created a machine that can carry out more complex motor tasks and is capable of freer and more dynamic motion. The new soft robots would be lightweight, bio-compatible and match the elastic properties of natural muscle tissue, the researchers said.
When the scientists tested the robot's movement, they found that the bio-bot moved only when given an electric shock. Robots with cardiac tissue twitch constantly, making it difficult to control their movements, according to the researchers
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