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Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Published on: February 28, 2020

Biohybrid soft robots with self-stimulating skeletons.

Maria Guix¹, Rafael Mestre², Tania Patiño^2,3

¹Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri-Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. ssanchez@ibecbarcelona.eu mguix@ibecbarcelona.eu.

Science Robotics

|May 27, 2021

Summary

Researchers developed a biohybrid swimmer using skeletal muscle and a 3D-printed skeleton. This innovative design enables self-stimulation, enhancing muscle force output for improved robotic performance.

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Area of Science:

Biohybrid robotics
Soft robotics
Biomimetic engineering

Background:

Bioinspired hybrid soft robots integrate living and synthetic components for advanced functionalities.
Biological components offer unique adaptability and response capabilities not replicable by artificial materials.
Existing biohybrid robots often require external stimuli for actuation and performance enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a skeletal muscle-based swimming biobot with a self-stimulating mechanism.
To investigate the role of a 3D-printed serpentine spring skeleton in enhancing muscle performance.
To analyze the motion mechanisms and optimize the design for efficient locomotion.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of a biobot using skeletal muscle and a 3D-printed serpentine spring skeleton.
Finite element analysis (FEA) to optimize skeleton stiffness and geometry.
Electrical actuation of muscle tissue to observe motion dynamics.
Experimental testing at liquid-air interface and near the bottom surface.

Main Results:

The 3D-printed serpentine skeleton provided mechanical integrity and self-stimulation during cell maturation.
Cyclic mechanical stimulation from the spring system improved muscle force output without external stimuli.
Two distinct motion mechanisms were observed: directional swimming and coasting motion.
The biobot achieved a maximum velocity of 800 micrometers per second (3 body lengths per second) at 5 Hz.
The biohybrid swimmer demonstrated speeds comparable to cardiac-based biohybrid robots and outperformed other muscle-based swimmers.

Conclusions:

The integrated compliant skeleton enables mechanical self-stimulation and asymmetry for directional motion.
Serpentine-like structures in hybrid robotic systems can facilitate self-stimulation for increased force output.
This skeletal muscle-based biobot represents a significant advancement in muscle-driven robotic platforms.
The findings suggest potential for higher force outputs in future biomimetic robotic systems.