Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 4 hrs ago
ETH Zurich researchers develop living muscle actuators for small robots
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed robot actuators from living muscle tissue grown from mouse cells.
The centimeter-scale actuators attach to artificial scaffolds and can flex to move and grasp.
In demonstrations, small biohybrid robots have jumped and swum, while other versions have walked.
Their motion has improved more than tenfold compared with earlier designs, and the movement is now visible to the naked eye.
The robots are still limited to a nutrient solution that feeds the tissue and keeps it alive.
The work could support future uses in exploration and medicine, though the research does not describe a specific application or timeline.
Researchers are continuing to develop ways to combine living tissue with artificial robot parts.
ETH Zurich researchers have developed living muscle actuators that allow small robots to move and grasp.
The centimeter-scale actuators are made from mouse muscle cells attached to artificial scaffolds.
The researchers say motion has improved more than tenfold compared with previous iterations.
The robots are currently limited to moving in a nutrient solution that keeps the muscle tissue alive.
The work explores combining biological materials with artificial components to build robots in a more natural way.
- Who
- Researchers at ETH Zurich’s Soft Robotics Lab, overseen by Professor Robert Katzschmann.
- What
- They demonstrated small-robot actuators made from living muscle tissue attached to artificial scaffolds.
- When
- Not stated
- Where
- ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
- Why
- To improve robot motion and dexterity by combining living tissue with artificial materials.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Researchers developed and refined designs for robots powered by living muscle tissue.
The team demonstrated muscle actuators attached to scaffolds with grooves, enabling small robots to move and grasp.
- Research lab
- ETH Zurich Soft Robotics Lab
- Muscle source
- Mouse muscle cells
- Actuator scale
- Measuring over 1 cm
- Motion improvement
- More than 10 times compared with previous iterations
- Walking speed
- 6.2 millimeters a second for other biohybrid robots described in the article
What people are saying
We’re just beginning to build robots in a more natural way.
With previous systems, you sometimes had to look under a microscope to see the flexing.