Japanese researchers have created a bipedal biohybrid robot by combining muscle tissue and artificial materialsaccording to a study published on the portal matter.

The research team’s bipedal robot, an innovative bipedal design, builds on the legacy of biohybrid robots that utilize muscles. Muscle tissue has enabled biohybrid robots to crawl, swim forward and make turns, but not sharp ones.

However, the ability to turn and make sharp turns is an essential feature for robots to avoid obstacles.. To build a more agile robot with fine and delicate movements, the researchers designed a biohybrid robot that imitates the human gait and operates in water. Europe Press.

The robot has a foam buoy top and weighted legs to keep it upright underwater. The robot’s skeleton is mainly made of silicone rubber that can bend and flex to allow muscle movements.

The researchers then placed strips of lab-grown skeletal muscle tissue on the silicone rubber and on each leg. When the researchers applied electricity to the muscle tissue, the muscle contracted and lifted the leg. Then the heel of the leg landed forward as the electricity disappeared.

By alternating electrical stimulation between the left and right legs every 5 seconds, The biohybrid robot successfully ‘walked’ at a speed of 5.4 mm/min (0.002 mph).

To turn, the researchers repeatedly tapped the right leg every 5 seconds, while the left leg served as an anchor. The robot turned 90 degrees to the left in 62 seconds.

The findings showed that the muscle-powered bipedal robot can walk, stop and perform finely tuned turning movements. Currently, scientists have to manually move a pair of electrodes to individually apply an electric field to the legs, which takes time.

Therefore, it is expected that in the future, by integrating the electrodes into the robot, the speed will be increased more efficiently. The team also plans to give the bipedal robot thicker joints and muscle tissue to enable more advanced and powerful movements.

But before we upgrade the robot with more biological components, the team will need to integrate a nutrient delivery system to maintain living tissues and the structures of the devices that allow the robot to operate in the air. (JO)