Posts tagged artificial muscles
Articles and news from the latest research reports.
Artificial muscle computer performs as a universal Turing machine
In 1936, Alan Turing showed that all computers are simply manifestations of an underlying logical architecture, no matter what materials they’re made of. Although most of the computer’s we’re familiar with are made of silicon semiconductors, other computers have been made of DNA, light, legos, paper, and many other unconventional materials.
Now in a new study, scientists have built a computer made of artificial muscles that are themselves made of electroactive polymers. The artificial muscle computer is an example of the simplest known universal Turing machine, and as such it is capable of solving any computable problem given sufficient time and memory. By showing that artificial muscles can “think,” the study paves the way for the development of smart, lifelike prostheses and soft robots that can conform to changing environments.
The authors, Benjamin Marc O’Brien and Iain Alexander Anderson at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, have published their study on the artificial muscle computer in a recent issue of Applied Physics Letters.
"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a computer has been built out of artificial muscles," O’Brien told Phys.org. "What makes it exciting is that the technology can be directly and intimately embedded into artificial muscle devices, giving them lifelike reflexes. Even though our computer has hard bits, the technology is fundamentally soft and stretchy, something that traditional methods of computation struggle with."
Swiss aim to birth advanced humanoid in 9 months
Here’s a robotics challenge for you: create an advanced humanoid robot in only nine months.
That’s what engineers at the University of Zurich’s Artificial Intelligence Lab are trying to do with Roboy, a kid-style bot that’s designed to help people in everyday environments.
Researchers around the world are trying to create useful humanoids. One interesting aspect of Roboy is its tendon-driven locomotion system.
Like Japan’s Kenshiro humanoid, Roboy relies on artificial muscles to move; in the future, it will be covered with a soft skin.
Roboy could become a prototype for service robots that will help elderly people remain independent for as long as possible.
It’s based on an earlier, one-eyed machine called Ecce, which looks something like a cyclops version of Skeletor. It was designed to be “the first truly anthropomimetic robot.” Except the eye, of course.
Already well along in its development (check out the video), Roboy is expected to be born in March 2013, when it will be unveiled at the Robots on Tour event in Zurich. The lab is seeking donations to fund the work, including branding opportunities.
If you have 50,000 Swiss francs ($55,000) lying around, you can get your logo on Roboy, and strike terror into the hearts of your enemies.