Liquid crystals add oomph to “artificial muscles” for robots

Researchers at the University of Waterloo and international collaborators have developed a new technique for making soft‑robot “artificial muscles” dramatically stronger and more capable. By mixing small amounts of liquid crystals (LCs) — like those used in electronic displays — into flexible rubber‑like materials called liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), the team produced a material that is up to nine times stronger than prior versions. When heated, fibres made from this enhanced material can lift loads up to 2,000 times their own weight, delivering about 24 J/kg of output work — roughly three times the work output of typical mammalian muscle. X‑ray analysis showed that the liquid crystals disperse inside the elastomer and form microscopic “pockets” that act like rigid reinforcements. This stiffens the material overall without sacrificing its ability to undergo large, programmable shape changes. Because of these improvements, the new LCEs are promising candidates to replace bulky rigid motors and pumps — enabling soft robots that move more naturally, safely, and powerfully. Potential applications include micro‑medical robots, human‑friendly robots in manufacturing, and other robotics tasks where flexibility and strength are both needed.