Scientists Uncover Way To Integrate Living Muscle Into Machines To Create A 'Biohybrid' Robot

Researchers have developed a way to integrate living muscle into machines to create a biohybrid robot. Reported in the journal Science Robotics, the study was undertaken at the University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science and demonstrates how the researchers developed the use of living tissue within robots, rather than just metal and plastic. Scientists are working on a project that sounds like they're creating a cyborg The new method progresses from individual muscle precursor cells, to muscle-cell-filled sheets, and then to fully functioning skeletal muscle tissues. They were able to incorporate these muscles into a biohybrid robot as antagonistic pairs mimicking those in the body to achieve remarkable robot movement and continued muscle function for over a week. To develop the muscle-powered robots, the team first constructed a robot skeleton on which to install the pair of functioning muscles.