Artificial muscles from fishing line and sewing thread

Authors

Carter S. Haines, University of Texas at Dallas
Marcio D. Lima, University of Texas at Dallas
Na Li, University of Texas at Dallas
Geoffrey M. Spinks, University of WollongongFollow
Javad Foroughi, University of WollongongFollow
John D. W Madden, University of British Columbia
Shi Hyeong Kim, Hanyang University
Shaoli Fang, University of Texas at Dallas
Monica Jung de Andrade, University of Texas at Dallas
Fatma Goktepe, Namik Kemal University
Ozer Goktepe, Namik Kemal University
Seyed M. Mirvakili, University of British Columbia
Sina Naficy, University of WollongongFollow
Xavier Lepro, University of Texas at Dallas
Jiyoung Oh, University of Texas at Dallas
Mikhail E. Kozlov, University of Texas at Dallas
Seon Jeong Kim, Hanyang University
Xiuru Xu, University of Texas at Dallas
Benjamin J. Swedlove, University of Texas
Gordon G. Wallace, University of WollongongFollow
Ray H. Baughman, University of Texas at DallasFollow

RIS ID

87952

Publication Details

Haines, C. S., Lima, M. D., Li, N., Spinks, G. M., Foroughi, J., Madden, J. D. W., Kim, S., Fang, S., de Andrade, M., Goktepe, F., Goktepe, O., Mirvakili, S. M., Naficy, S., Lepro, X., Oh, J., Kozlov, M. E., Kim, S., Xu, X., Swedlove, B. J., Wallace, G. G. & Baughman, R. H. (2014). Artificial muscles from fishing line and sewing thread. Science, 343 (6173), 868-872.

Abstract

The high cost of powerful, large-stroke, high-stress artificial muscles has combined with performance limitations such as low cycle life, hysteresis, and low efficiency to restrict applications. We demonstrated that inexpensive high-strength polymer fibers used for fishing line and sewing thread can be easily transformed by twist insertion to provide fast, scalable, nonhysteretic, long-life tensile and torsional muscles. Extreme twisting produces coiled muscles that can contract by 49%, lift loads over 100 times heavier than can human muscle of the same length and weight, and generate 5.3 kilowatts of mechanical work per kilogram of muscle weight, similar to that produced by a jet engine. Woven textiles that change porosity in response to temperature and actuating window shutters that could help conserve energy were also demonstrated. Large-stroke tensile actuation was theoretically and experimentally shown to result from torsional actuation.

Grant Number

ARC/CE0561616

Grant Number

ARC/DP110101073