KAIST Develops Artificial Muscle Device with 34 Times the Force per Weight

A fluid switch for ionic polymer artificial muscles capable of exerting 34 times the force relative to their weight has been developed. The fluid switch controls fluid flow to direct it in a specific direction, enabling various movements.

Professor Oilkwon (first on the right) and other research team members are posing for a commemorative photo. Photo by KAIST

KAIST announced on the 4th that Professor Oil Kwon’s research team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed a soft fluid switch that operates at ultra-low power and can be used in confined spaces.

Artificial muscles mimic human muscles and provide flexible and natural movements compared to traditional motors. Due to these characteristics, they are primarily used as fundamental components in soft robots, medical devices, and wearable devices.

However, since artificial muscles generate movement in response to external stimuli such as electricity, air pressure, and temperature changes, it is crucial to precisely control these movements to effectively utilize artificial muscles.

Moreover, existing switches based on traditional motors are rigid and bulky, limiting their use in confined spaces.

Accordingly, the research team developed ionic polymer artificial muscles capable of exerting great force even inside narrow tubes and controlling fluid flow, enabling their use as soft fluid switches.

The ionic polymer artificial muscles developed by the research team consist of metal electrodes and ionic polymers, generating force and movement in response to electricity.

This method utilizes a porous covalent organic framework (pS-COF) created by bonding organic molecules to the surface of the artificial muscle electrodes, allowing operation at ultra-low power (~0.01V) while producing large force relative to weight.

Separating fluid droplets using a flexible fluid switch at ultra-low voltage. Provided by KAIST

Through this, the research team explained that they succeeded in enabling artificial muscles as thin as a hair (180㎛) to exert more than 34 times their weight (10mg) in force while moving smoothly and precisely controlling the direction of fluid flow with low power.

Professor Oil Kwon, who led the research, stated, “The electrochemical soft fluid switch operating at ultra-low power can open many possibilities in fields such as soft robotics, soft electronics, and microfluidics based on fluid control,” and emphasized, “This technology has the potential to be easily applied to ultra-small electronic systems in our daily lives, from smart textiles to biomedical devices, and can be immediately utilized in various industrial fields.”

The research results, with Dr. Manmassa Mahato, a research professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST, as the first author, were also published in the international journal Science Advances on December 13 last year.

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