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University of Bristol uses ordinary electric motors to replicate muscle coordination, potentially improving robots

A University of Bristol team built a tabletop physical model simulating muscle contraction using a row of ordinary electric motors coupled to each other through a shared mechanical skeleton, with results published in the Royal Society journal Interface. In the experiments, the motors made intermittent contact with the skeleton to transmit force, and without direct communication, muscle-like behaviors spontaneously emerged, including a load-velocity relationship, more units participating as load increased, and coordination waves. The researchers believe this approach, in which coordination is handled by the structure itself, could help improve how robots are actuated.

Part of the event: University of Bristol reproduces muscle coordination using ordinary electric motors

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