New Types of Artificial Muscles for Large Stroke and High Force Applications

This three-year AFOSR sponsored project resulted in discovery of four fundamentally new types of artificial muscles, advancement of technology for carbon nanotube yarn spinning that is needed for muscle fabrication, and has enabled studies in closely related areas such as sound generation in air and water. New types of muscles were designed using carbon nanotube and graphene assemblies available from the University of Texas at Dallas and include Aerogel Muscles, Torsional and Tensile Yarn Muscles, Artificial Muscles Based on Polypyrrole Laminates and Graphene-based muscles. The studies were published in 14 high impact papers including three papers in Science magazine, two patent filings, highlighted in numerous news media articles and in TV shows. The new muscles might be deployed for such diverse applications as morphing air vehicles, autonomous robots, and intelligent aircraft surfaces.