Bioinspired actuators with intrinsic muscle-like mechanical properties

Liu, C; Wang, Y; Qian, Z; Wang, K; Zhao, F; Ding, P; Xu, D; Wei, G; Ren, L; Ren, L

Abstract

Humans and animals can achieve agile and efficient movements because the muscle can operate in different modes depending on its intrinsic mechanical properties. For bioinspired robotics and prosthetics, it is highly desirable to have artificial actuators with muscle-like properties. However, it still remains a challenge to realize both intrinsic muscle-like force-velocity and force-length properties in one single actuator simultaneously. This study presents a bioinspired soft actuator, named HimiSK (highly imitating skeletal muscle), designed by spatially arranging a set of synergistically contractile units in a flexible matrix similar to skeletal musculature. We have demonstrated that the actuator presents both intrinsic force-velocity and force-length characteristics that are very close to biological muscle with inherent self-stability and robustness in response to external perturbations. These outstanding properties result from the bioinspired architecture and the adaptive morphing of the flexible matrix material, which adapts automatically to mechanically diverse tasks without reliance on sensors and controllers. [Abstract copyright: © 2021 The Authors.]

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 19, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Aug 24, 2021
• Publication Date: Sep 24, 2021
• Deposit Date: Oct 13, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 13, 2021
• Journal: iScience
• Print ISSN: 2589-0042
• Electronic ISSN: 2589-0042
• Publisher: Cell Press
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 103023
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.103023
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.103023
• Related Public URLs: http://www.cell.com/iscience/home
• Additional Information: Additional Information : ** From PubMed via Jisc Publications Router **Journal IDs: eissn 2589-0042 **Article IDs: pubmed: 34585107; pii: S2589-0042(21)00991-3; pmc: PMC8456066 **History: accepted 19-08-2021; revised 05-08-2021; submitted 16-06-2021; Funders : National Natural Science Foundation of China;National Key R&D Program of China;Engineering Physical Science Research Council;Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; Projects : Energy efficient lower limb prostheses;A Large-Scale Predictive Musculoskeletal Model to Simulate Human Walking;91948302;91848204;52075216;51675222; Grant Number: 91948302 and 91848204, 52075216 and 51675222; Grant Number: 2018YFC2001300; Grant Number: EP/K019759/1 and EP/I033602/1