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Artificial Muscles

Myomimetic Materials, Myomers

Myomer
Image from Steve Bowers
Artificial muscle-analog material often used by robots and other machines, and by sophonts such as cyborgs and vecs. By applying a stimulus (often neural or electrical in nature) these materials can be induced to change shape; by contracting while attached to a suitable framework or skeletal structure this contraction can be converted into mechanical effort.

Artificial muscle fibres can be used by themselves, or as an augmentation to biological muscle. However myomimetic materials must be integrated with care into a biological body, since they may damage surrounding tissue due to waste heat or excess stress on bones and ligaments. If an augmented muscle is capable of exerting a very large force the bones and other support structures must also be reinforced, generally with diamondoid.

There are many types of myomer with a wide range of strengths and resistance to damage, from simple memory polymers to so-called Ultimate Muscles.
 
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Appears in Topics
AugmenticsEverydaytechMaterials Technology
Robotics
 
Development Notes
Text by Steve Bowers
Initially published on 21 January 2016.

 
 
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