IPFS News Link • Science, Medicine and Technology
Coiled carbon fiber artificial muscle lifts 12,000 times its own weight
• https://newatlas.com, Michael IrvingNow, researchers from the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois have developed an artificial muscle made of carbon fiber and rubber that can lift over 12,000 times its own weight.
The MechSE Illinois team started with the goal of making coiled artificial muscles – a relatively new design – stronger and as a result, more practical. With that in mind, carbon fiber was chosen, a very strong but lightweight material. To make it more deformable, the researchers mixed the carbon fiber with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) rubber and twisted it into a coiled shape.