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Artificial muscles: Engineering super strength

Artificial muscles open the door to superhuman strength, but practical uses target prosthetics and robotics.

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Quantumrun Foresight
May 6, 2022

Insight summary

Advancements in artificial muscle technology are paving the way for a host of applications, from more natural prosthetics to robots with enhanced dexterity. Researchers are exploring materials and energy sources to create fibers that mimic human muscle movements. As this technology continues to develop, it promises to bring transformative changes across various industries, including healthcare, fashion, and entertainment, while also raising important ethical and regulatory considerations.

Artificial muscles context

Scientists have experienced a long history of unsuccessful attempts to create artificial muscles. These include shape-memory metals, hydraulics, polymers, and servo motors. However, these attempts are not optimal due to their weight, dexterity, and maximum response times. Viable artificial muscles require an elastic movement mechanism coupled with a biological energy source, such as glucose and oxygen.

However, during the late 2010s, researchers published studies on the development of next-generation artificial muscles. In 2019, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology research team replicated the cucumber plant’s “coiling-and-pulling” system to make fibers that can contract like human muscles. They achieved this by binding two polymers with varying elasticity that formed coils when pulled taut. Warmer temperatures allowed better coiling, generating more tensile strength. In addition, the fibers work well in moderate conditions, making them viable for commercial production. The fibers can also be coated with nanowires to provide an internal source of energy.

Additionally, scientists at Linköping University created artificial muscles in 2019 that use glucose and oxygen as a power source, converting chemical energy into electrical impulses via biological electrodes. The electrical impulses then caused the developed artificial muscles to contract. In time, scientists will likely use artificial muscles to enhance robots and prosthetic limbs. While artificial muscles can be made to be over 600 times stronger than human muscles, as of December 2021, models can lose up to 97 percent of their energy as they perform different actions, making them highly inefficient.

Disruptive impact

The development of artificial muscles could offer new treatments for degenerative muscular disorders, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy. These synthetic muscles could be utilized to create therapies that aid in muscle regeneration, improving the quality of life for individuals suffering from such conditions. Moreover, for individuals relying on prosthetics, artificial muscles present an opportunity for lighter and more effective alternatives, enhancing mobility and ease of use. As research progresses, the goal is to diminish the energy loss prevalent in current designs, not only making these muscles more efficient but also expanding their applicability across various industries.

Looking at the industrial landscape, the integration of artificial muscles into workers' gear could notably alleviate the physical demands of labor-intensive roles. Envision exosuits infused with artificial muscles, assisting workers in heavy industries by reducing the strain on their bodies, a development that could potentially foster a healthier work environment and reduce injury-related downtimes. In parallel, the robotics sector stands to gain significantly, with future robot generations possibly featuring artificial muscles, thereby granting them enhanced flexibility and mobility, which can be pivotal in tasks requiring a delicate touch or navigating uneven terrains.

However, this development also requires sporting bodies to act preemptively to uphold fairness in competitions, as they may need to institute regulations barring athletes from using implanted artificial muscles to gain an undue advantage. Governments may also need to foster environments that encourage ethical advancements while preventing misuse. Moreover, educational institutions can seize this moment to integrate knowledge about this emerging technology into curricula, nurturing a generation that is adept at leveraging the benefits while mitigating the potential downsides.

Implications of artificial muscles

Wider implications of artificial muscles may include:

Prosthetic designs evolving to be lighter and more responsive to user stimuli, resulting in a surge in aesthetically pleasing options for people with disabilities, which could not only enhance mobility but also boost self-esteem and facilitate smoother integration into various societal roles.

Militaries channeling funds into research programs to develop specialized artificial muscles, leading to the creation of super soldiers endowed with heightened strength and speed, a move that might escalate arms races globally and raise ethical dilemmas surrounding the enhancement of human capabilities through artificial means.

The emergence of humanoid robots equipped with flexible organic or synthetic skins and muscles, paving the way for more natural interactions between humans and robots, altering the labor market dynamics by introducing robots capable of performing tasks with a human-like dexterity and emotional understanding.

The fashion industry potentially adopting artificial muscles in clothing designs, leading to garments that can change shape or color based on the user's preferences or emotions, offering a new dimension of personalized fashion but also posing questions on the environmental impact of producing such high-tech clothing.

The entertainment industry, particularly the movie and gaming sectors, leveraging artificial muscles to create more realistic animatronics and virtual characters, leading to immersive experiences but possibly escalating production costs.

The development of rescue robots equipped with artificial muscles, enhancing their ability to navigate difficult terrains and save lives in disaster-stricken areas.

The potential for artificial muscles to be used in space explorations, aiding astronauts in performing tasks with reduced physical strain, extending the duration of space missions but also requiring substantial investments in research and development.

The healthcare sector potentially seeing a rise in personalized physical therapy and rehabilitation programs leveraging artificial muscles, leading to more effective recovery processes but also increasing the cost of healthcare services due to the integration of high-end technology.