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Dual-Responsive Yarn-Based Artificial Muscles for Adaptive Thermal Management
Mengjiao Pan1,2,3, Xiaohui Zhang1,2,3, Jinhao Xu1,2,3
1Future Intelligent Wear Centre, School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
|January 10, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a hybrid yarn-based artificial muscle (HYAM) for adaptive textiles. This innovation enhances actuation speed and response time, enabling intelligent personalized thermal management for extreme weather conditions.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Textile Engineering
- Biomimetics
Background:
- Climate change necessitates adaptive textiles for thermoregulation.
- Existing yarn-based artificial muscles have slow and uncontrollable actuation.
- Need for faster, reliable artificial muscles in responsive textiles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel hybrid yarn-based artificial muscle (HYAM).
- To improve actuation performance (stroke and speed) and recovery time.
- To enable intelligent personalized thermal management systems.
Main Methods:
- Coupling moisture actuation with electrothermal recovery in a hybrid yarn structure.
- Biomimetic design inspired by skeletal muscle and spindle-driven gates.
- Integration into dual-mode radiative curtains for thermal switching.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 128% increase in actuation stroke and 136% increase in speed compared to pristine muscles.
- Electrothermal recovery reduced recovery and full-cycle times by 91% and 83%, respectively.
- Demonstrated dual-mode radiative curtains for switching between warming and cooling.
Conclusions:
- HYAM offers significantly enhanced performance for artificial muscles.
- The technology shows promise for intelligent personalized thermal management.
- Addresses limitations of current moisture-responsive textiles for climate adaptation.
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