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Knitting and weaving artificial muscles
Ali Maziz1, Alessandro Concas1, Alexandre Khaldi1
1Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Biosensors and Bioelectronics Centre, Linköping University, 58183 Linköping, Sweden.
Science Advances
|February 1, 2017
Summary
Researchers developed soft, wearable artificial muscles using textile processing and electroactive polymers. These novel actuators mimic natural muscle for improved human-device interaction.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- Robotics
Background:
- Existing artificial muscles often lack the softness, silence, and compliance required for natural human-device interaction.
- Skeletal muscle performance remains a benchmark for advanced assistive devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop soft, wearable artificial muscles using textile processing and electroactive polymers.
- To achieve tunable force and strain output for natural human-device interaction.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cellulose yarns assembled into fabrics and coated with conducting polymers via metal-free deposition.
- Employed weaving to increase output force by assembling yarns in parallel.
- Used knitting to amplify strain, creating a stretchable fabric.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the feasibility of wearable, soft artificial muscles through textile fabrication.
- Achieved linearly scalable force with the number of yarns in woven fabrics.
- Reported a 53-fold increase in strain in knitted fabrics, with enhanced mechanical stability.
Conclusions:
- Textile processing offers a scalable and rational method for producing wearable artificial muscles.
- These novel actuators enable new design possibilities for assistive devices.
- The developed artificial muscles provide a pathway towards more natural human-device interaction.
