Engineers have devised innovative modular, spring-like devices aimed at optimizing the functionality of live muscle fibers, enabling their utilization to power biohybrid robots. These devices, resembling springs, are meticulously designed to maximize the efficiency of muscle tissue, which naturally converts energy into motion. Unlike synthetic actuators, muscle fibers exhibit superior power, precision, and the ability to self-repair and strengthen with exercise.
The concept of harnessing natural muscles to propel robots has garnered considerable interest among engineers. While several “biohybrid” robots have been developed, each design lacks a standardized framework for optimizing muscle performance. Addressing this challenge, MIT engineers have introduced a spring-like device capable of serving as a fundamental module for various muscle-driven robots. Functioning akin to a precisely weighted leg press, this device amplifies the range of motion achievable by muscle tissues.
Through experimentation, researchers found that when a ring of muscle tissue is attached to the device, it consistently stretches the spring-like structure, resulting in a five-fold increase in movement compared to previous designs. This novel flexure design provides a versatile building block for constructing artificial skeletons, allowing engineers to integrate muscle tissues efficiently to power diverse robotic movements.
Ritu Raman, along with her team at MIT, envisions the flexure as a standardized framework facilitating the conversion of muscle contractions into multi-directional motion reliably and predictably. By aligning muscle contractions with the device’s configuration, the researchers have achieved significantly enhanced movement, overcoming the variability inherent in previous muscle actuator designs.
The soft and flexible nature of the flexure, coupled with its tailored stiffness, enables it to efficiently translate muscle forces into directed motion. This focused contraction capability allows muscles to exert greater force, thus amplifying the device’s utility in robotics applications. Furthermore, the flexure serves as a valuable tool for assessing muscle performance and endurance, offering insights into fatigue and adaptability.
Moving forward, the team aims to refine and combine flexures to create precise, articulated robots powered by natural muscles. Of particular interest is the development of small-scale robots, leveraging the inherent strengths of biological actuators in terms of strength, efficiency, and adaptability, with potential applications in minimally invasive surgical procedures and beyond.
