Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new method to produce artificial muscle tissue with complex mobility. This involves the use of a precisely structured micro-stamp, which is produced using 3D printing. In contrast to previous approaches, in which artificial muscles could only contract in one direction, the new method enables multidirectional contraction. This opens up new perspectives for biohybrid robot applications and the replication of natural tissue structures.
The core of the method is a stamp with microscopically fine grooves – each about the size of a single cell. When this stamp is pressed into a soft hydrogel, a structure is created along which muscle cells can grow in a targeted manner. In a demonstration experiment, the researchers formed an artificial tissue that resembles the architecture of the human iris. By concentrically and radially aligning muscle fibers, the tissue was able to contract in several directions simultaneously, analogous to the constriction and dilation of the pupil.
“With the iris design, we believe we have demonstrated the first skeletal muscle-powered robot that generates force in more than one direction. That was uniquely enabled by this stamp approach,” says Ritu Raman, the Eugene Bell Career Development Professor of Tissue Engineering in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.
It is interesting to note that the stamp geometry does not necessarily require high-end printing systems. According to the research team, the structure can also be produced using standard 3D printers.
“In this work, we wanted to show we can use this stamp approach to make a ‘robot’ that can do things that previous muscle-powered robots can’t do,” Raman says. “We chose to work with skeletal muscle cells. But there’s nothing stopping you from doing this with any other cell type.”
In the future, other cell types and tissue forms will be examined using this method, such as heart or nerve cells. The long-term goal is to develop bio-inspired, energy-efficient soft robots that can move flexibly and sustainably in complex environments.
“Instead of using rigid actuators that are typical in underwater robots, if we can use soft biological robots, we can navigate and be much more energy-efficient, while also being completely biodegradable and sustainable,” Raman says. “That’s what we hope to build toward.”
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