Jennifer Chu at MIT News reports that MIT engineers have developed a method to grow artificial muscle tissue that moves in multiple coordinated directions, a significant advancement for biohybrid robots. By using a 3D-printed stamp with microscopic grooves, they grew muscle fibers in patterns resembling the human iris, allowing for multidirectional movement. This innovation could lead to more versatile, soft robots capable of tasks like navigating tight spaces or performing delicate movements. The technique applies to various biological tissues and could revolutionize the development of sustainable, energy-efficient robots. Chu writes:
The researchers fabricated the artificial iris using a new “stamping” approach they developed. First, they 3D-printed a small, handheld stamp patterned with microscopic grooves, each as small as a single cell. Then they pressed the stamp into a soft hydrogel and seeded the resulting grooves with real muscle cells. The cells grew along these grooves within the hydrogel, forming fibers. When the researchers stimulated the fibers, the muscle contracted in multiple directions, following the fibers’ orientation. […]
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