Muscle-powered robots? This concept might not be that far-fetched and may no longer be just science fiction.
As robots become increasingly sophisticated, scientists are looking at how machines can be improved by the integration of living tissue.
Robots that mix living tissue with a non-biological exoskeleton are no longer simply the stuff of the silver screen offerings, like the Terminator.
But forget the suspiciously Arnold Schwarzenegger-like killer machines of Skynet’s dystopian future — these new biohybrid machines will serve humanity, even assisting in keeping us healthy.
Scientists have taken a big step towards creating next-generation biohybrid robots – machines that combine living tissue with artificial parts. This research, reported in a paper, paves the way for designing and building these robots in a reliable, consistent, and predictable way.
“Biohybrid machines use biological materials to perform specific tasks,” explains Ritu Raman of MIT’s Mechanical Engineering Department. “In our study, living muscle tissue acts as the actuator for a flexible robot.”
The key advantage of biohybrid robots lies in their ability to sense and adapt to their environment in real-time, something traditional robots struggle with.
“Previous research has shown that muscle-powered robots can improve their strength through exercise and even heal themselves,” says Raman. “This highlights their dynamic response to changing environments.” The challenge now lies in effectively integrating muscles with a skeletal structure to maximize movement and ensure efficient, repeatable force transmission.
According to the paper, scientists are now working on a machine integrated with living tissue.
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The skeletons of these biohybrid robots are a key innovation. According to Raman, they’re made from a special “linear elastic” material that combines rigid and flexible elements. This design has two key benefits:
Consistency: The robots behave consistently across a wide range of situations, regardless of the exact placement of the muscle tissue on the skeleton.
Power and Reliability: This approach allows the robots to generate movements five times larger and with greater consistency compared to previous designs. This translates to more powerful and reliable machines.
The muscle tissue itself is another interesting aspect. The MIT team uses muscle tissues grown from a mouse muscle cell line in a lab setting. This is a renewable resource that doesn’t require harming animals.
An important point to remember: While these robots incorporate biological materials, they are not actually alive. Raman clarifies that the muscle actuators function similarly to other types of actuators engineers use, such as pneumatic or hydraulic systems.
Reference: R. Raman, et al., Enhancing and Decoding the Performance of Muscle Actuators with Flexures, Advanced Intelligent Systems, (2024). DOI: 10.1002/aisy.202300699
