Strain-programmable fiber-based artificial muscle

TLDR

Artificial muscles could accelerate robotics, haptics, and prosthetics, yet scaling polymer‑based actuators with tunable dimensions remains a challenge. The study applies a high‑throughput iterative fiber‑drawing technique to produce strain‑programmable artificial muscles spanning three orders of magnitude in size. The method uses iterative fiber drawing and embeds conductive nanowire meshes to provide piezoresistive strain feedback and long‑term resilience over >10⁵ cycles. The actuators are thermally and optically controllable, lift over 650× their weight, withstand >1000% strain, provide piezoresistive feedback, endure >10⁵ cycles, and their scalable strength and responsiveness could impact engineering and biomedical fields.

Abstract

Artificial muscles may accelerate the development of robotics, haptics, and prosthetics. Although advances in polymer-based actuators have delivered unprecedented strengths, producing these devices at scale with tunable dimensions remains a challenge. We applied a high-throughput iterative fiber-drawing technique to create strain-programmable artificial muscles with dimensions spanning three orders of magnitude. These fiber-based actuators are thermally and optically controllable, can lift more than 650 times their own weight, and withstand strains of >1000%. Integration of conductive nanowire meshes within these fiber-based muscles offers piezoresistive strain feedback and demonstrates long-term resilience across >105 deformation cycles. The scalable dimensions of these fiber-based actuators and their strength and responsiveness may extend their impact from engineering fields to biomedical applications.