Honda's humanoid robot

Honda have produced a life-size anthropomorphic robot that can achieve dynamic bipedal walking. For further details, click to see the robot's web page at Honda.

Nanotubes form fake muscles

Artificial muscles made from sheets of single-walled carbon nanotubes have been developed by an international group of researchers.

The group, made up of scientists from the US, Australia, Italy and Germany, used the nanotubes to make electromechanical actuators which generated higher stresses than natural muscle and higher strains than conventional high-modulus ferroelectric actuators.

Like natural muscles, the macroscopic actuators are assemblies of billions of individual nanoscale actuators which convert electrical energy into mechanical energy through a material response.

In a paper published in Science (vol 284, page 1340), the research group, led by Ray Baughman of Allied Signal, says these actuators could have applications in robotics, optical fibre switches, optical displays and microscopic pumps.

Unlike conventional ferroelectric actuators, the nanotube actuators need only a few volts to generate large actuator strains. They can also be run in reverse to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy for mechanical sensor and energy-conversion devices.

While ferroelectrics generate low currents at high voltages, nanotubes could be used to provide high currents at low voltages. This effect is desirable for minimising the effect of lead capacitances.