UCLA researchers create self-healing, power-generating artificial muscle

We've seen self-healing materials and artificial arms, but a team of researchers hailing from UCLA have taken two fabulous ideas and wed them together to create "an artificial muscle that heals itself and generates electricity." Put simply, the contracting / expanding of the material can generate a small electric current, which can be "captured and used to power another expansion or stored in a battery." The scientists have relied on carbon nanotubes as electrodes rather than metal-based films that typically fail after extended usage, and in an ideal world, the research could eventually lead to (more) walking robots and highly advanced prosthetics. Integrate an AC adapter in there and we're sold.

[Via CNET]

[ai4281 Posted Mar 23rd 2008 1:51AM]

MAXIMUM SPEED

gotta love Crysis

[x3qt0r Posted Mar 23rd 2008 3:05AM]

Yeah exactly, thats what came up in my mind when I came across this post.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 23rd 2008 1:03AM]

Wow amazing! This should be in BREAKING NEWS!

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 23rd 2008 1:19AM]

Too far from being practically real!

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY Posted Mar 23rd 2008 1:29AM]

My hopes are one day, artificial muscle will not be powered by electricity but by human metabolism and I am almost certain that day will come with in my lifetime.

[Nodspy Posted Mar 23rd 2008 1:34AM]

Did anybody else instantly think "Ghost in the Shell" ?????

No just me.......

[AKBlade13 Posted Mar 23rd 2008 7:57AM]

We'll only get to Ghost in the Shell when we're able to put souls and or minds inside of robots, and even then people will probably think Cyberpunk before Ghost in the Shell.

AKBlade13

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 8:57AM]

dude yea i totally thought the ghost in the shell movie actually and how they all bearly have human parts

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 23rd 2008 1:59AM]

That's a good start.

Now all they need is "Maximum Speed", "Maximum Armor" and "Cloak".

[Mushroooshi Posted Mar 23rd 2008 2:01AM]

Finally!

I am able to reenact Naruto fight scenes without a sandbox!

[oshean Posted Mar 23rd 2008 3:18AM]

Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 25th 2008 7:23PM]

Robocop? or Inspector Gadget?

[(Unverified) Posted May 12th 2008 1:36PM]

$6 Million Dollar man, dude...

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 23rd 2008 8:47PM]

It's not actually "healing." It can't repair damage to itself. "Fault tolerant" would be more accurate, meaning it doesn't immediately fail upon sustaining damage. It's functionality does gradually decline from damage.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 23rd 2008 9:21AM]

OK so it is self healing thats fine. but if it works around the damaged tissue, it must create a seal around it so does this mean the damaged tissue will rot or get infected underneath?

[Wwhat Posted Mar 23rd 2008 1:25PM]

carbon nanotubes rot?

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 23rd 2008 9:21AM]

With all this great technology, the biggest problem is there's no direct control from the brain to this part of the body and back. After reading a little bit on the subject, thinking it might be my research interest after I graduated, I realized a computer can get electricity from the brain but it can't be understood and putting electricity back in to the brain might kill it.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 23rd 2008 12:28PM]

Just "Plug-and-Play!"

[youfacethetick Posted Mar 23rd 2008 1:15PM]

I wonder if they can add muscle to humans with diseases that deteriorate muscle?

[UFGrayMatter Posted Mar 23rd 2008 1:42PM]

hasn't anybody seen Terminator? This stuff is scary

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 23rd 2008 5:16PM]

Needs a USB port or two.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 23rd 2008 7:57PM]

Sweet so let's say, this technology got got pushed to a new generation of artificial limbs, and my Ipod and my Psp's battery runs low I can just plug it up to my arm or leg.

[gregleg Posted Mar 23rd 2008 10:49PM]

Hmmm, I'd love to see if something like this could be adapted as a treatment for conditions like muscular dystrophy.