Scientists Create Robotic Muscles Capable of Superhero Strength

A new breakthrough in robotic technology may allow humans to be able to throw around cars and other heavy objects just like superheroes in comic books.

The new robotic "muscle" is not quite ready for use yet, as the material made so far is about the size of microchip, but the material shows a huge amount of process. However, the material is theoretically able to throw something 50 times it's own weight five times it's length in a reaction time of just 60 milliseconds. This may not be impressive on a small scale, but a human sized arm would made of the stuff could be capable of herculean feats of strength.

Junqiao Wu, the project's lead scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Labs explained to the International Business Times explains how the new breakthrough works and what it is made out of:

"We've created a micro-bimorph dual coil that functions as a powerful torsional muscle, driven thermally or electro-thermally by the phase transition of vanadium dioxide."

Vanadium dioxide has a special property that makes it perfect for futuristic prosthetic muscles. The material changes physical states when it is heated or cooled, so when scientists shape the vanadium dioxide in a V they are able to create a torsion spring by heating one dimension so it shrinks while the other two expand. This is similar to how a catapult is able to launch projectiles hundreds of feet through the air. Wu stats that Vanadium dioxide and a remote sensor "allow the device to remotely detect a target and respond by reconfiguring itself to a different shape. This simulates living bodies where neurons sense and deliver stimuli to the muscles and the muscles provide motion."

Wu clarified that in order for the new material to work a way to heat the vanadium dioxide micro muscles so that it can work like human tissue. Scientists are working on a way to allow the sun's heat to power the prosthetics so that users would not need a battery or other external power source to work the new limbs.
If Wu and his team are able to make a full prosthetic, then not only could users be able to regain lost limbs, but people would be able to get futuristic muscle implants that would make them stronger than the human body could possibly become naturally. Perhaps superheros could then become a reality.