Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
3D Printed Artificial Muscles Are Stronger Than Yours
3D-printable, synthetic soft muscles that can mimic natural biological systems can lift 1000 times their own weight, thanks to boffins at the Columbia Engineering Creative Machines lab. And yes, these artificial muscles are three times stronger than natural muscles.
((L) The electrically actuated muscle with thin resistive wire in a rest position;
(R) The muscle is expanded using only a low voltage (8V).
Credit: Aslan Miriyev/Columbia Engineering)
Existing soft-actuator technologies are typically based on bulky pneumatic or hydraulic inflation of elastomer skins that expand when air or liquid is supplied to them, which require external compressors and pressure-regulating equipment.“We’ve been making great strides toward making robot minds, but robot bodies are still primitive,” said Hod Lipson, PhD, a professor of mechanical engineering. “This is a big piece of the puzzle and, like biology, the new actuator can be shaped and reshaped a thousand ways. We’ve overcome one of the final barriers to making lifelike robots.”
Science fiction authors find uses for the idea of artificial muscles; Martin Caidin makes good use of artificial muscles in his 1972 novel Cyborg and you'll enjoy the eerie steampunk description of Quasi-Muscles (Sham Musculature) in H.G. Wells' 1898 blockbuster War of the Worlds.
Science fiction movie buffs also remember the upper body musculature of the NS-5 robots from the 2004 film I, Robot, taken from the Isaac Asimov short story.
(Upper body 'musculature' NS-5 Robot from I, Robot movie)
Technovelgy readers have been following Hod Lipson and his group of intrepid roboticists for quite some time:
- Starfish Robot Shows Robotic Introspection And Self-Modeling
A new four-legged robot can automatically synthesize a predictive model of its own topology (where and how its body parts are connected), and then successfully move around. (2006) - Self-Replicating Modular Robots
Hod Lipson, Victor Zykov, Efstathios Mytilinaios and Bryant Adams have been working on machines that replicate themselves. (2005) - Fab@Home 'Fabber' Freeform Fabricator
The Fab@Home free-form fabricator may bring the rapid prototyping revolution right into the privacy of your own home. (2007) - Starfish Robot Stretching Video
Towards the end of the video, the robot conceptualizes itself, determining its own structure using sensors built into each joint. (2007) - Automated Biology Explorer (ABE), Robot Scientist
An artificially intelligent computer system that can analyze raw experimental data from biology experiments and derive the equations that describe how that biological system operates. (2011) - Eureqa Artificially Intelligent Computer Scientist
Eureqa is an artificial intelligence program that autonomously seeks working equations to describe data from experiments. (2009)
Via Scientists remove one of the final barriers to making lifelike robots.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 10/12/2017)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 0 )
Related News Stories - (" Engineering ")
Create An Accurate Tiny Model Of Yourself
'Farr patiently stood on the disk of gray metal.' - Jack Vance, 1954.
Rear View Heads Up Display For Motorcycle Helmets
'Another thing space suits should have is rearview mirrors.' - Robert Heinlein, 1958.
Anker's SOLIX Solar Umbrella Portable Power
As predicted by science fiction thirty-five years ago!
TSA 2 - Advanced Thermosensory Stimulator Is A Dune Pain Box
'As though a switch had been turned off, the pain stopped...' - Frank Herbert, 1965.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
ErythroMer Artificial Blood
'My chemists are all working on the preparation of the artificial blood.'
Vesuvius Challenge Accepted - Ancient Burnt Scroll Read!
'The image on the Trimagniscope tube was an enlarged view of one of the pocket-size books found on the body...'
Create An Accurate Tiny Model Of Yourself
'Farr patiently stood on the disk of gray metal.'
Futuristic Transit Elevated Bus Never Really Worked
It was worth a try!
Robochef Robotic Food Prep
'No hand touched the food...'
Rear View Heads Up Display For Motorcycle Helmets
'Another thing space suits should have is rearview mirrors.'
Stargate $500 Billion Investment in Artificial Intelligence
'... an artificial intelligence equal to the human.'
Jetson Orin Nano Super 70 Just $249
'Rayno folded up the microterm and tucked it back inside his jumper.'
Nano-Chainmail 2D Mechanically Interlocked Polymer
'Nemourlon armor of reasonable weight resists penetration by most fragments and any bullet that is not both reasonably heavy and fairly high-velocity.'
Anker's SOLIX Solar Umbrella Portable Power
As predicted by science fiction thirty-five years ago!
Positioned Cybertrucks With Free Starlinks WiFi In LA
'Several thousand of them formed the positioning grid on the rubble pile.'
AI-THu Shapeshifting Transformer Home
'Its slack walls tightened, bulged, were crossed by ripples and waves of movement.'
Xiaomi Self-Driving Self-Balancing Scooter
'Norman... had never ridden any motorized device that lacked onboard steering and balance systems.'
Transparent 4K OLED Wireless TV From LG
You will note that HG Wells also figured out the aspect ratio of the future!
TSA 2 - Advanced Thermosensory Stimulator Is A Dune Pain Box
'As though a switch had been turned off, the pain stopped...'
Humans Love Helping Other Species
'At the ringside opposite them a table had been removed to make room for a large transparent plastic capsule on wheels.'
