University of Tokyo Researchers Develop Bipedal Biohybrid Robot

The robot, powered by lab-grown muscle tissues, can walk and pivot in water, with future improvements planned to increase speed and enable operation in air.

Researchers from the University of Tokyo have designed a two-legged biohybrid robot that combines muscle tissues and artificial materials, allowing it to walk and pivot.
The robot operates in water, with a foam buoy top and weighted legs to help it stand straight underwater. The skeleton of the robot is made from silicone rubber that can bend and flex to conform to muscle movements.
Lab-grown skeletal muscle tissues are attached to the silicone rubber and each leg. When the muscle tissue is stimulated with electricity, it contracts, lifting the leg up. By alternating the electric stimulation between the left and right leg every 5 seconds, the robot can walk at about 5.4mm per minute or 0.002 miles per hour.
To enable turning, the team activated the right leg repeatedly while the left leg acted as an anchor, achieving a 90-degree turn in 62 seconds.
Future improvements include integrating the electrodes into the robot to increase speed, giving joints and thicker muscle tissues to the robot for more sophisticated and powerful movements, and integrating a nutrient supply system and structures to sustain the living tissues that allow the robot to operate in the air.

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