Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Responses to Gravity and Touch02:26

Responses to Gravity and Touch

34.9K
Gravitropism: Plant Responses to Gravity
34.9K
Muscle Contraction01:15

Muscle Contraction

91.2K
 
91.2K
Design Example: Frog Muscle Response01:14

Design Example: Frog Muscle Response

270
A student is tasked to work on an intriguing experiment involving an RL (Resistor-Inductor) circuit to study the muscle response of a frog's leg to electrical stimulation. The RL circuit plays a crucial role in this experiment, providing the means to control and measure the electrical impulses that trigger muscle contraction.
When the switch connecting the RL circuit is closed, a brief muscle contraction is observed. This is because, at a steady state, the inductor acts like a short...
270
Somatic Spinal Reflexes01:22

Somatic Spinal Reflexes

2.3K
Somatic spinal reflexes are rapid, involuntary muscular responses to external stimuli that involve the somatic musculature and the spinal cord.
One of the most well-known somatic spinal reflexes is the stretch reflex, which is activated by the sudden stretching of a muscle. This reflex involves the activation of specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles, which are located in the muscle tissue and detect changes in the length and speed of muscle contractions. When a muscle is suddenly...
2.3K
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation01:31

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

2.7K
Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...
2.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Reprogramming macrophage mechanosensation via TRPV4 modulating mechano-immunotherapy controls fibrotic encapsulation of biomaterial implants.

Bioactive materials·2026
Same author

PPy-Coated Wire Actuators for the Micromechanostimulation of Cells: Fabrication and Characterization.

Small science·2026
Same author

Transition of Ion Diffusion Mechanism in BaZr<sub>0.1</sub>Ce<sub>0.7</sub>Y<sub>0.1</sub>Yb<sub>0.1</sub>O<sub>3-δ</sub> Electrolyte Under Real Operating Conditions.

Small methods·2026
Same author

Radical-Mediated, Substrate-Independent Fabrication of Hybrid Solid-Hydrogel Materials With Tunable Crosslinking: An Initiator- and Crosslinker-Free Approach.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026
Same author

Toward clinical translation of biosensors for chronic kidney disease.

Biosensors & bioelectronics·2025
Same author

Cross-Linked Zwitterionic Surface Modifications for Biocompatible Blood-Contacting Medical Devices.

Advanced healthcare materials·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 5, 2025

A Labor-saving and Repeatable Touch-force Signaling Mutant Screen Protocol for the Study of Thigmomorphogenesis of a Model Plant Arabidopsis thaliana
10:08

A Labor-saving and Repeatable Touch-force Signaling Mutant Screen Protocol for the Study of Thigmomorphogenesis of a Model Plant Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: August 6, 2019

7.4K

Plant-Like Tropisms in Artificial Muscles.

Shazed Aziz1, Xi Zhang1, Sina Naficy2

  • 1School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|March 25, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed novel artificial muscles that mimic helical plants, adapting autonomously to humidity and temperature changes. These fast-acting, washable muscles offer potential for smart textiles and soft robotics.

Keywords:
artificial musclesbiomimicked technologyhydrogelssmart devicessoft actuatorssoft roboticstextile yarns

More Related Videos

Cardiac Muscle Cell-based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - Part 2
09:33

Cardiac Muscle Cell-based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - Part 2

Published on: May 9, 2017

8.8K
Cardiac Muscle-cell Based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - PART 1
11:22

Cardiac Muscle-cell Based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - PART 1

Published on: July 11, 2017

8.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 5, 2025

A Labor-saving and Repeatable Touch-force Signaling Mutant Screen Protocol for the Study of Thigmomorphogenesis of a Model Plant Arabidopsis thaliana
10:08

A Labor-saving and Repeatable Touch-force Signaling Mutant Screen Protocol for the Study of Thigmomorphogenesis of a Model Plant Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: August 6, 2019

7.4K
Cardiac Muscle Cell-based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - Part 2
09:33

Cardiac Muscle Cell-based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - Part 2

Published on: May 9, 2017

8.8K
Cardiac Muscle-cell Based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - PART 1
11:22

Cardiac Muscle-cell Based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - PART 1

Published on: July 11, 2017

8.2K

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Biomimetics
  • Robotics

Background:

  • Helical plant tropisms inspire artificial muscles, but current designs lack autonomous adaptation to environmental stimuli.
  • Existing shape-mimicked actuators require artificial triggers and are unsuitable for real-world, on-demand applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop novel artificial muscles with self-adaptive capabilities to environmental humidity and temperature.
  • To create artificial muscles that biomimic plant hydrotropism and thermotropism at a microstructural level.

Main Methods:

  • Hierarchically patterned, helically wound yarns were fabricated using a microstructural biomimicking approach.
  • Individual microfilaments were inlaid with hydrogel and twisted into coil-shaped hierarchical structures to enhance actuation.

Main Results:

  • The artificial muscles demonstrated large strokes and rapid actuation, with average speeds of ≈5.2% s⁻¹ (expansion) and ≈3.1% s⁻¹ (contraction).
  • The developed muscles exhibited autonomous environmental responsiveness, successfully closing a window in humid conditions.
  • The yarns proved washable without degradation, indicating suitability for reusable smart textiles and soft robotics.

Conclusions:

  • Novel self-adaptive artificial muscles inspired by plant microstructural memories have been successfully developed.
  • These artificial muscles represent a significant advancement in speed and autonomous functionality compared to existing actuators.
  • The materials are suitable for developing smart, reusable textiles and advanced soft robotic devices.