A team of researchers from South Korea has developed a thin, robotic actuator based on the movements of real human muscles.
Actuators are, effectively, the ‘muscles’ of robotic machines. They are devices that convert stored energy into physical motion.
The new system was inspired by human muscle proteins, a press statement reveals. It could eventually allow for human-robot interactions, and may even enable robots to perform delicate surgical procedures.
A human-inspired robotic actuator
Conventional robots are typically built using rigid metal parts. This gives them strength, but limits their maneuverability and flexibility.
The team of researchers, from Samsung Electronics’ Future Robotics Division and Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea, has developed an actuator as thin as paper. In spite of its thinness and flexibility, it is capable of generating a strong force.
Due to its size, the actuator can allow robots to maneuver through tight spaces. The team believes their technology is suitable for a wide range of applications. These include surgical and factory robots.
The sheet-like actuatorSource: POSTECH
The team behind the new development mimicked the function of myosin for their actuator. Myosin is a protein in muscles that generates movement through repeated small contractions.
Taking this as inspiration, they developed a sheet-shaped pneumatic actuator. Within the sheet-like material are dozens of tiny air chambers and multi-layered air pathways.
When air is injected into these pathways, an accumulation of small forces produces large movements.
A ‘complex three-dimensional pneumatic network’
One of the researchers, Professor Keehoon Kim from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at POSTECH, described the work as “successfully integrating a complex three-dimensional pneumatic network within a thin and flexible structure, enabling multi-directional movements through a bio-inspired approach.”
“We hope this technology will be applied in various fields, including surgical robots, collaborative robots in industrial settings, and exploration environments,” he added.
The team conducted a series of experiments to validate their technology. The tests showed that their actuator could move with a similar precision to human fingers. It was also able to successfully move objects underwater.
In the future, the team believes their technology could even enable interactions with humans, as the system could interact in a more delicate and responsive manner than traditional robot hands.
The research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) and the Ministry of Science and ICT through the Korea Leading Research Center Program, as well as the Alchemist Project funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The findings were published in a paper in Nature Communications
Chris Young Chris Young is a journalist, copywriter, blogger and tech geek at heart who’s reported on the likes of the Mobile World Congress, written for Lifehack, The Culture Trip, Flydoscope and some of the world’s biggest tech companies, including NEC and Thales, about robots, satellites and other world-changing innovations.