Softstar Header Logo.gif

Artificial Limb Project - Mesh Muscle Network

This research project combines technology, artistic aesthetics, physiology, brain wave research, and a few other disciplines. A couple of the problems [and there are many] with robotic arms and artificial limbs, is flexibility and strength.  With current technology and research, the most common way to increase flexibility is by adding motors and servos in a multitude of combination's. The more you add, the heavier and more complex the unit becomes.

This project eliminates this problem altogether by using a flexible (yet very strong) mesh network of muscle wire woven together with a nylon elastic, driven by off-the-shelf technology.

Think of the mesh as a flexible LCD display. Each pixel on the display can be individually controlled by a driver circuit. Now imaging using the same circuit to drive the horizontal and vertical axis's of the mesh muscle fabric. The developed algorithms treats each point in the network as an object, that can be controlled individually, but also indirectly controls the points in its immediate vicinity.  The entire mesh is covers a titanium ball and socket mechanism, which includes digit extension as fingers (and opposable thumb).  Low voltage powers the matrix, while a simple sub-set of voltages act as commands that trigger predetermined movements.