Scientists use fishing line and sewing thread to create artificial muscle

Zee Media Bureau

Washington: Scientists claim to have made an inexpensive artificial muscle that is about 10 times stronger than human muscles.

Applications of this new artificial muscle could be in medical devices, robotic exoskeletons and prosthetic limbs.

In the tests, scientists twisted the fibers made from polyethylene and nylon into tight coils - like you would twist the rubber band of a model toy aeroplane - to create an artificial muscle that could contract and relax.

The artificial muscles contract and relax in response to changes in temperature, which can be controlled by an electrical heating element.

The study has been published in journal Science.

(With Agency inputs)