Build Muscles with Nanotechnology
17 July 2007Scientists have long known that carbon nanotubes possess unique properties which make them suitable for various applications. Now they are discovering another unique characteristic of the nanotubes: they are spongy, or elastic, making them potentially useful in delivering added strength for artificial muscles.
The key in developing artificial muscles is to develop motion that is as smooth and fluid as possible. Present technology uses electroactive polymers (EAPs) that change shape in response to electrical or chemical stimuli. The downside of the current technology is that it’s not sturdy and can soon fail from overuse. Researchers have discovered that carbon nanotubes may just be the solution to toughening up the artificial muscles.
Laboratory tests of the nanotubes involved subjecting them to over 500,000 compressions of the nanotubes between steel plates. The results were astonishing. Even after 500,000 compressions that reduced the nanotubes to 75 percent of their length, they kept springing back to near original form. Researchers note that the results applied only to blocks of nanotubes and not individual samples. The durability of the nanotube blocks is found to be comparable to that of human muscles, which retain their original form even after many contractions. Scientists are now combining nanotubes with the EAPs in order to discover the ideal solution for creating artificial muscles that will not fatigue over time.
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