Dr. Yosef Bar-Cohen, who works at NASA, is at the forefront of research in the field of electroactive polymers, or in short - artificial muscles
In the future, artificial muscles will be able to compete in the WWF World Championship or at least in an official wrestling competition. This science fiction scenario is becoming a reality as scientists move closer to building artificial muscles into robots that will look and behave just like human or animal muscles. Scientists and engineers around the world are focusing on nature-inspired technologies such as artificial muscles and artificial intelligence.
In the future, insect-like robots may roll off the assembly line as they pack themselves for shipment. Intelligent robots may read a book aloud, discuss the state of stocks and even replace the dog as man's best friend.
"My vision is that we will see bionic people, especially humans with artificial muscles, and alternatively we will see robots imitating biology," says Dr. Yosef Bar-Cohen, senior researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Since 1996, Bar-Cohen has been the mentor and promoter of the relationship between technology and materials called electroactive polymers, also known as "artificial muscles". These materials bend, stretch and contract like biological muscles when an electric current passes through them.
In order to simulate the electroactive polymers, Bar-Cohen threw a challenge to scientists and engineers around the world about three years ago. He wanted to see if someone could develop a robotic arm based on an artificial muscle that could compete in a hands-down competition against a human and win. "This challenge requires tracking problems of all kinds, which are at the forefront of technology and engineering, both in the field of robot control and in the field of artificial intelligence." saying.
Although no one has yet been able to answer this challenge, scientists have made progress in finding ways to control a robotic arm. In addition, Bar-Cohen hopes to see technologies that will combine the artificial muscles and prostheses and allow the disabled to perform physical actions independently.
Scientists and engineers from at least 14 countries have joined the effort to build an electroactive polymer more effective than those that exist today, and will develop or at least offer innovations for the development of mechanisms and devices in the future. An example of this is a dust wiper, close and distant to the rain wiper in a car, which can perform a variety of tasks such as cleaning the solar collectors in a spaceship. Such a wiper may be included in future space missions.
"The development of a dust mop may be an important milestone for the research field of electroactive polymers, as they will be the first device to demonstrate the ability of these materials to create unique solutions that no other material or mechanism could do." says Bar-Cohen.
The scientists may be getting results in the labs, but a lot more work will be needed before the robots pack themselves up for home delivery and clean our dinnerware in front of all the guests at a cocktail party. "I have high hopes in this field, but my expectations for progress are more realistic," says Bar-Cohen.
"This field still requires many improvements in the infrastructure as well as a better understanding of the behavior of the materials before we can create products from them for the general public.
To the subject page on the NASA website (including the image)
One response
But massage muscles with hands