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Posted by: Bigity Dec 23 2013, 02:06 PM

http://zeenews.india.com/news/science/new-robotic-muscle-thousand-times-stronger_898298.html

"Researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in US demonstrated a micro-sized robotic torsional muscle/motor made from vanadium dioxide that is able to catapult very heavy objects over a distance five times its length within 60 milliseconds. "

Posted by: KCKitsune Dec 23 2013, 02:32 PM

How much would you have to augment the human to actually USE that level of strength?

The cyber designers, of course, dial it back and then strengthen the metahuman meat to actually use the new "muscle".

Posted by: Draco18s Dec 23 2013, 03:56 PM

QUOTE (KCKitsune @ Dec 23 2013, 09:32 AM)

How much would you have to augment the human to actually USE that level of strength?

Not to mention avoid breaking the user's bones.

Posted by: Sendaz Dec 24 2013, 01:41 PM

well will withhold judgement until they do a larger scale model.

Just like insect can do prestigious feats at the micro level, most structures face other challenges when scaled up.

Still, a good step forward in possible musculature projects.

Posted by: Jaid Dec 25 2013, 04:30 PM

yeah, important thing to realize:

strength increases relative to cross-sectional area. mass increases relative to volume.

which means that if you double all dimensions, you get quadruple the strength... but are lifting 8 times as much, meaning if you could previously move double your mass at the smaller size, you are now only able to move your mass.

so, ummm.... don't get too excited just yet. it's entirely possible that the same thing, when made the size of a human arm, is either no stronger than, or even weaker than, the actual human arm.

Posted by: pbangarth Dec 25 2013, 11:23 PM

QUOTE (Jaid @ Dec 25 2013, 11:30 AM)

yeah, important thing to realize:

strength increases relative to cross-sectional area. mass increases relative to volume.

which means that if you double all dimensions, you get quadruple the strength... but are lifting 8 times as much, meaning if you could previously move double your mass at the smaller size, you are now only able to move your mass.

The mass increase is of the material itself, not the object it is moving. So, yes, the artificial muscle itself would be 8 times as massive, but its mass is tiny compared to the mass of the objects it is purported to be able to move.

Posted by: Ellzii Dec 26 2013, 01:53 AM

We're still a little off from the promised land on this though. Vandium Dioxide does not start conducting until 67 degrees C which is about 152 F. Too hot to put into a body without some sort of massive heat sink, but it's still very neat and promising.

-LZ

Posted by: Draco18s Dec 26 2013, 05:30 AM

QUOTE (pbangarth @ Dec 25 2013, 06:23 PM)

The mass increase is of the material itself, not the object it is moving. So, yes, the artificial muscle itself would be 8 times as massive, but its mass is tiny compared to the mass of the objects it is purported to be able to move.

It's still a sub-linear increase in strength as you scale up. It's not something you can just get around with better physics, it's actually a mathematical limitation. Just like there being a finite amount of bandwidth.

Posted by: Elfenlied Dec 27 2013, 10:46 AM

Muscle replacement just sucks in 4th and 5th edition.

Posted by: Shortstraw Jan 22 2014, 02:36 PM

QUOTE (Draco18s @ Dec 24 2013, 01:56 AM)