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Zirngibism
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Artificial polymer "muscles" that contract with electronic/magnetic stimulation?
Hi everyone! First post-- hope this is the right place for it! And just to let you know, I'm not an engineering professional. I'm asking this question based on a speculative industrial design contest for which I'd like to ground my entry's concept in some reality.
I'd like to ask about a material I heard about a couple of years ago. However, I'm having trouble finding more information about it on the web because I don't know what keywords to put in!
The material in question is a synthetic polymer that could "contract" like a muscle when a current was run through it. (However, it may have been stimulated with magnetism, I'm actually not quite sure.) I believe it could also be made to bend, and curl rather precisely.
So my main questions are: Did I misinterpret the person who mentioned this technology? Does it indeed exist? If so, how do I find out more information about it? I'd like to see some diagrams and photos.
I'm not sure how powerful these "contractions" are. (Could a joint powered by this as a "muscle" lift it's own weight?) If not, is this technology in our near future?If such a material were organized over a humanoid skeleton frame in the pattern of human musculature, could it function as human muscles do?
(Of course, this won't actually be built or anything, so technicalities and cost of this wouldn't be an issue.)
I'm sorry if my query sounds rather vague. Hopefully someone here is familiar with this!
Hi everyone! First post-- hope this is the right place for it! And just to let you know, I'm not an engineering professional. I'm asking this question based on a speculative industrial design contest for which I'd like to ground my entry's concept in some reality.
I'd like to ask about a material I heard about a couple of years ago. However, I'm having trouble finding more information about it on the web because I don't know what keywords to put in!
The material in question is a synthetic polymer that could "contract" like a muscle when a current was run through it. (However, it may have been stimulated with magnetism, I'm actually not quite sure.) I believe it could also be made to bend, and curl rather precisely.
So my main questions are: Did I misinterpret the person who mentioned this technology? Does it indeed exist? If so, how do I find out more information about it? I'd like to see some diagrams and photos.
I'm not sure how powerful these "contractions" are. (Could a joint powered by this as a "muscle" lift it's own weight?) If not, is this technology in our near future?If such a material were organized over a humanoid skeleton frame in the pattern of human musculature, could it function as human muscles do?
(Of course, this won't actually be built or anything, so technicalities and cost of this wouldn't be an issue.)
I'm sorry if my query sounds rather vague. Hopefully someone here is familiar with this!
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