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AI Robotics Coding UCLA Scientists Build Light-Powered Robot That Flaps Like a Bee1984CMU Trains Navy Robotics Specialists for the Age of AIHarvard Researchers Advanced Quantum InternetMIT’s New Bionic Knee Feels Like Part of the Body, Not Just a ToolCaltech Researchers Create a New, Noninvasive Way to Measure Blood PressureAI Takes Flight: Boston University’s AIR Initiative Leads Cross-Disciplinary InnovationResearchers at Carnegie Mellon University are Developing a New Cancer Implant TechAutonomous Insect Robotics LaboratoryNortheastern University Research Could Bring Virtual Reality Closer to RealityCaltech Creating AI Program to Solve Decades Old Math ProblemsAI/Biomedicine lab at the University of WashingtonFuture of Data Science EducationCMU – AI Driven RobotsFahrenheit 451The Assistive Robotics and ManipulationAI Predicting Health OutcomesHow Robots Are Helping PeopleGTGraffiti A Robot That Paints Like A HumanThe MartianFour-Legged Robotic System From MITAI Making Streets SaferHUBO RobotsAI Simulation To See Your Future SelfRobot Muscles At MIT

Robot Muscles At MIT

September 27, 2024

MIT researchers have developed an innovative device that lets robots tap into the natural power of muscles. Because muscles are perfectly sized for their tasks, they provide an excellent way to power robotic movement. The team created the “flexure” — a spring-like frame that acts like a skeleton to maximize muscle movements. This device helps robots make better use of muscle tissue, allowing for precise and controlled motion.

Using muscles in robots has been challenging due to their unpredictable nature. Earlier designs placed muscles between flexible posts, but these setups limited movement. The new flexure design directs the force generated by muscle contractions in a single direction, resulting in more reliable and effective motion. This breakthrough enhances muscle-powered robots, enabling them to perform a wider range of tasks.

Medical robotics stands to gain significantly from this advancement, opening doors to new, highly precise, small-scale robots. The flexure device could help build tiny, accurate robots capable of performing delicate operations inside the body. Additionally, it offers a way to study muscle endurance and fatigue, improving our understanding of muscle function. By harnessing the raw strength of muscles, this technology could pave the way for the next generation of strong and adaptable robots.

By:
Vraj Parikh