ETH Zurich robots with living muscle swim, jump and grasp objects without rigid motors
A team from ETH Zurich's Soft Robotics Lab, led by Robert Katzschmann, created bioactuators about 1.5 centimeters long that combine cultured living muscle with a flexible hydrogel. The devices achieved a range of motion up to eleven times greater than earlier versions, swam at 6.2 millimeters per second and jumped up to five millimeters with a single contraction. The study, published in Nature Communications, notes the technology remains experimental and preclinical because the tissue needs nutrients to stay active.
In 35 seconds
- ETH Zurich's bioactuators combine living muscle with a hydrogel printed in 3D using xolography.
- They achieved a range of motion up to eleven times greater than previous devices.
- They swam at 6.2 mm/s and jumped up to 5 mm with a single contraction.
IASummary generated by artificial intelligence from a story by Infobae. It may contain errors: the original source prevails.




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