University of Texas at Austin and Penn State University Researchers, have created a new type of fiber that can act as a muscle actuator, in many ways better than other alternatives available today. And, most importantly, these muscle-like fibers are easy to manufacture and recycle.

Figure 1: fiber can perform like a muscle actuator

Figure 1 shows that this type of robotic arm can be used in an assisted exoskeleton to help people with weak arms regain movement and strength. Another potential application, the researchers say, could be a kind of “self-closing bandage” that can be used in surgery and naturally breaks down inside the body when the wound heals. [1]

“An actuator is a material that will change or deform under any external stimulus, such as a part of a machine that will touch, bend, or extend,” said Robert Hickey. And for technologies like robotics, we have to develop a soft, lightweight version of this material that can basically act as artificial muscle. Our work is really about finding new ways to do this.

Fiber materials are known as co-polymer blocks. To create it you only need to put the polymer in the solvent and add water. One part of the polymer is hydrophilic (attracted to water), while the other part is hydrophobic (resistant to water). The hydrophobic parts of the polymer groups together to protect themselves from water, creating a fibrous structure.

The existing fibers also need an electric current to stimulate a reaction that binds the parts together. These chemical crosslinkers are more difficult to make, compared to the researchers ’new fibers, which are a mechanical reaction, meaning the parts take care of much of the work alone. Another added bonus is that it is simple to reverse the process and return the fiber pieces to their original state. [2]

The researchers discovered their fibers had been 75% extra environment friendly by way of changing power to motion, in a position to deal with 80% extra pressure and will rotate with extra pace and pressure than present actuators. And it might probably stretch to greater than 900% of its size earlier than it breaks.

Researchers had been attempting to make use of these polymers to make membranes for water filtration. Nonetheless, the constructions they made had been too lengthy for membranes. They stretched out to 5 occasions their unique size and held that size. The researchers seen that these traits had been just like muscle tissue, so that they determined to shift the main target. [3]

References:

1. https://www.tamilbloggers.xyz/nanostructured-fibers-can-impersonate-human-muscles/
2. https://www.tamiltechs.in/nanostructured-fibers-can-impersonate-human-muscles
3. https://allhealthbooks.com/nanostructured-fibers-can-impersonate-human-muscles/

Cite this article:

Sri Vasagi K (2022), A New Nanostructured Fiber can Perform Like a Muscle Actuator, AnaTechMaz, pp.43