One step closer to the Terminator? Experts reveal robot with 'real muscles' strong enough to jump, swim and grasp

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed muscle tissue-based actuators to enhance the dexterity and motion of robots. These actuators, grown from living mouse muscle cells, are enabling small robots to perform actions such as jumping, swimming, walking, and grasping. The biohybrid robots, overseen by Professor Robert Katzschmann, represent a more natural approach to robot design.

The researchers have found that the interaction between the muscle tissue and the artificial scaffold is crucial for the robots' performance. The actuator designs have evolved through an iterative process, with the muscle tissue secured to the scaffold using grooves that allow for attachment. Currently, the robots are limited to motion within a nutrient solution, but the researchers have observed natural variability in the actuators' behavior due to the living tissue.

The development of flesh muscles for robots has been a multi-year endeavor, with designs built on computer simulations and an iterative process. The team embraced the idea of creating a custom muscle geometry rather than relying on a fixed form. The bioactuators, measuring over 1 cm, can now be observed flexing and moving without the need for a microscope, and they have demonstrated the ability to swim and grasp objects.

Other biohybrid robots have been programmed to walk at a speed of 6.2 millimeters per second. While the prospect of flesh-covered robots with enhanced motion capabilities may raise concerns, the researchers emphasize that these developments have potential applications in exploration and medicine, and the technology is not likely to lead to the creation of an army of time-traveling, human-destroying cyborgs.