Artificial tendons give muscle-powered robots a boost - Robohub

Researchers at MIT have developed artificial tendons made from tough, flexible hydrogel to enhance the performance of muscle-powered biohybrid robots. By attaching these rubber band-like tendons to either end of lab-grown muscle tissue, they created a "muscle-tendon unit" that significantly improves robotic actuation. When connected to a robotic gripper, the muscle-tendon unit enabled the robot to pinch its fingers together three times faster and with 30 times greater force compared to designs without the artificial tendons. This innovation addresses previous limitations in motion and power output in biohybrid robots that combine living muscle with synthetic skeletons. The team envisions these artificial tendons as modular, interchangeable connectors that can be broadly applied across various biohybrid robotic designs, from microscale surgical tools to autonomous exploratory machines. Lead author Ritu Raman highlights the advantages of muscle actuators, including their scalability to small sizes, ability to strengthen with use, and capacity for self-healing. These properties position muscle-powered robots