SNU Professor Ahn Sung-Hoon’s Research Team Develops an Artificial Muscle Actuator that is Faster and Stronger than Actual Muscle

- Featured on the Cover Page of International Science Journal small


▲ Artificial Muscle Fiber Actuator Published as Cover Picture of small Vol.14, No.23

 
On 18^th, SNU College of Engineering (Dean Cha Kook-Heon) reported that the research team (Lead Author Postdoctoral Researcher Lee Hyun-Taek) led by Professor Ahn Sung-Hoon from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering has succeeded in creating microactuators that provide an application for artificial muscle fibers.
 
The researchers have developed microscale actuators with thickness close to myofibril (or muscle fibril) using shape memory alloy (SMA) of fine construction frame. In general, the muscle of an animal consists of muscular fibers with thickness close to human hair and these muscular fibers again consist of myofibrils with one-hundredth the thickness of human hair.
 
When heated, the SMA returns to its original shape after deformation due to external force. The team has integrated the nickel-titanium SMA, processed to lattice form, to the development of this microactuator.
 
This microscale actuator contracts and relaxes accordingly to temperature changes. With just a small input of energy from laser, it can also reach a very high actuation speed of 1.6 kHz. Its deformation rate hits 60%, which is a significant improvement from the 6% deformation rate of conventional actuators.
 
Professor Ahn explains, “While this microscale actuator is only the size of a myofibril, it can exert twice the force. This development can be applied to creating artificial muscle fibers in robots and actuators.” 
 
The research findings are featured on the international journal small as its cover article of the June 7^th issue under the title of “Shape Memory Alloy (SMA)-Based Microscale Actuators with 60% Deformation Rate and 1.6 kHz Actuation Speed.”
 
This research has been conducted with the support of the Ministry of Science and ICT and National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)’s Mid-career Researcher Program and the Advanced Research Center Program (Type: Science Research Center, SRC) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s Industry Core Technology Development Project.
 
[Reference]
 
1. Link to the Cover Picture of small: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/16136829/2018/14/23
 
2. Video of the Shape Memory Alloy (SMA)-based Microscale Actuator: See Attached File