Synthetic Muscles Made of Fishing Line are 100x Stronger

February 26 2014

Synthetic Muscles Made of Fishing Line are 100x Stronger

Researchers at the University of Texas has discovered a new way to build artificial muscles, and no it doesn’t involve RoboCop-like metallic designs. The new synthetic muscle fibers, which are reported to be one hundred times stronger than the fleshy stuff in your biceps, is made from traditional the fishing line and thread.

According to the report published in the Journal of Science, researchers took polyethylene and nylon string (the same stuff that’s used in most brands of fishing line) and twisted it over and over using a high-powered machine. Eventually, the string can no longer physically twist anymore, at which point it begins to wrap around itself by forming a coil.

Researchers then exposed the coil-like synthetic muscle to extreme hot temperatures for an additional level of strength. “Expanding the volume of the finger-trap, or heating the coil, actually makes the device shorten,” said Ray Baughman, a materials scientists working on the project.

The synthetic muscles are actually quite similar to real ones. The muscles in our bodies consist of numerous individual threads wrapped around one another for additional support. And when our muscles heat up — whether it’s from working out or a change in temperature — they contract. On the other hand, muscles expand when they cool down. This is the same principle behind Baughman’s experiment involving heated coils of fishing line and thread.

In addition to the superior level of strength associated with these ‘fishing line muscles,’ there’s another attractive quality that’s worth noting: the price. This isn’t the first time someone has attempted to create synthetic muscles, but those currently being developed cost thousands of times more to produce — not to mention the fact that they are weaker. Using nothing more than fishing line and thread, researchers were able to create synthetic muscle fibers that are stronger and cheaper than other fibers currently being produced.

 Baughman said the following:

“The application opportunities for these polymer muscles are vast. Today’s most advanced humanoid robots, prosthetic limbs and wearable exoskeletons are limited by motors and hydraulic systems, whose size and weight restrict dexterity, force generation and work capability.”

Video: Synthetic Muscle Fibers Being Made From Fishing Line

Check out the video above to see exactly how scientists are able to create the synthetic muscle fibers using nothing more than fishing line and thread. It’s just over a minute long, but it reveals the true strength of these man-made synthetic muscle fibers.