Soft Actuator

Many of the exoskeletons that have been designed for people with physical impairments look like Erector sets strapped to the body. But this piece, reporting on a bioengineered fabric developed at two Swedish universities, offers a more attractive solution. Quoting directly: “The technique relies on creating a fabric out of cellulose yarns and then coating it with electrically conductive polymers. Simply delivering a current to the material makes it flex and the more yarn is used the stronger it becomes. The shape and form of the weaving of the fabric also plays a role in how and in which direction the material bends, essentially serving as a mechanism for using it in unique ways.”   MORE

Image Credit: Linköping University