New Robot Muscles Three Times Stronger than Mammal Muscles

Flex those liquid crystals.

STARTER STATS

• New artificial muscles can lift 2,000 times their weight when heated

• New muscles are up to 9x stronger and 3x stronger than mammalian muscles

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A team led by researchers at the University of Waterloo has given robot muscles a big boost. The team blends liquid crystals (LCs) into rubber-like liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) to create artificial muscles that are stronger, stiffer, and capable of powering fluid, human-safe robot movements.

A recent study published in Advanced Materials shows that adding small amounts of LCs (common in electronic displays) makes LCEs up to nine times stronger, able to lift 2,000 times their weight when heated, and deliver 24 J/kg of work – outlifting mammal muscles threefold.

The team's breakthrough, in collaboration with researchers from Cambridge and Kent State, could transform soft robots for tasks such as drug delivery or factory work. Unlike rigid motors, these enhanced LCEs enable safe, precise, and wide-ranging motion, ideal for micro-medical robots or human-robot collaboration.

“Materials with such capabilities can replace bulky, heavy motors with light, soft artificial muscles, unlocking the true potential of soft robots for safe and precise applications.”

— Dr. Hamed Shahsavan, University of Waterloo, Chemical Engineering

X-ray analysis revealed LCs form solid-like pockets within LCEs, like chocolate chips in dough, boosting stiffness while preserving the material’s programmable shape-changing ability.

The team is now exploring 3D-printing these materials to craft next-gen artificial muscles, promising a leap in robotics performance without sacrificing flexibility.

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