Muscle-powered robot provides a real turning point

Japanese scientists have unveiled the world’s first muscle-powered robot that is capable of twisting and turning. The robot - which is inspired by the way we walk - is made from synthetic materials and muscle tissue, and it can move in an almost life-like manner.

Until now, such robots could only crawl, swim or take wide turns. These limited movements restricted both their flexibility and mobility. But engineers at the University of Tokyo say they have overcome these difficulties by using muscle tissue which is grown in a lab.

Shoji Takeuchi and his team used a 3-D printer to create rubber limbs and connected them to the lab-grown muscle tissue. The limbs - which are 2cms long - were then submerged in water and attached to a float allowing the robot to stand. The weight of the legs provide stability.

But it is the addition of muscle tissue that allows the robot to move. It does so by expanding or contracting when stimulated by the researchers. The contracting force will shrink the muscle making it step forward while the other muscle relaxes.

The scientists found they can even control how quickly the robot moves by varying how much electricity it receives. By alternatively stimulating the legs with a metal conductor every 5 seconds, the robot is able to make a complete turn in just over a minute.

This marks a breakthrough in the field and the team says it could help create more life-like robots that move and act like us in the not too distant future. The use of lab-grown muscle tissue also means that these robots might be used in medical trials or even to study diseases.

The model is still in its infancy and the scientists want to make sure it can work in different conditions and at faster speeds. Nonetheless, Takeuchi and his team say their development represents a “giant leap” forward for the field of robotics.