Artificial magnetic muscles can support tensile stresses up to 1,000 times their own weight

Sat, 14 Dec 2024 03:46:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://techxplore.com/news/2024-11-artificial-magnetic-muscles-tensile-stresses.html>

"A research team, led by Professor Hoon Eui Jeong from the Department of
Mechanical Engineering at UNIST has introduced an innovative magnetic composite
artificial muscle, showcasing an impressive ability to withstand loads
comparable to those of automobiles. This material achieves a stiffness
enhancement of more than 2,700 times compared to conventional systems. The
study is published in Nature Communications.

Soft artificial muscles, which emulate the fluidity of human muscular motion,
have emerged as vital technologies in various fields, including robotics,
wearable devices, and biomedical applications. Their inherent flexibility
allows for smoother operations; however, traditional materials typically
exhibit limitations in rigidity, hindering their ability to lift substantial
weights and maintain precise control due to unwanted vibrations.

To overcome these challenges, researchers have employed variable rigid
materials that can transition between hard and soft states. Yet, the available
range for stiffness modulation has remained constrained, along with inadequate
mechanical performance.

The team's innovative approach combines ferromagnetic particles with shape
memory polymers to create a soft magnetic composite artificial muscle that
significantly enhances both load-bearing capacity and elasticity. This new
material integrates ferromagnetic particles capable of generating substantial
magnetic forces with shape memory polymers recognized as versatile rigid
materials.

Through specialized surface treatment, the ferromagnetic particles form
intricate physical entanglements with the shape memory polymer. This
synergistic interaction not only augments the mechanical properties of the
composite but also facilitates rapid and efficient responses to external
magnetic fields.

The artificial muscles developed through this advancement exhibit extraordinary
adaptability, modifying their stiffness by up to 2,700 times and achieving more
than eightfold increases in softness. Under rigid conditions, they are
engineered to support tensile stresses of up to 1,000 times their weight and
compressive stresses of up to 3,690 times their weight."

Via Fix the News:
https://fixthenews.com/277-second-copernican-revolution/

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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