Carbon nanotubes make artificial muscle - Electricity flexes strong, bendy aerogel.

Nature News ^ | 19 March 2009 | Katharine Sanderson

[neverdem]

Giant-Stroke, Superelastic Carbon Nanotube Aerogel Muscles

[Centurion2000]

Myomer fibers for BattleMechs are a reality.

Where's my BattleMaster assault mech?

[Vince Ferrer]

Really cool.

[grey_whiskers]

Like, *PING*, dudes.

Tell your friends!

Cheers!

[grey_whiskers]

The phrase "giant stroke" makes me think that this material will find great applications for devices in the, ahem, women's market...

Remember, it can stiffen instantly and it never gets tired.

Cheers!

[Mojave]

Fascinating.

[OneWingedShark]

Hm, reminds me of Webber’s “Mutineer’s Moon” book.
http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/09-AtAllCostsCD/AtAllCostsCD/Empire%20From%20the%20Ashes/index.htm

[OneWingedShark]

Indeed, we need to get BattleMechs protected under the 2nd Amendment NOW! :D

[odin2008]

[Moonman62]

Will it come with its own kickstand?

[LukeL]

The phrase "giant stroke" makes me think that this material will find great applications for devices in the, ahem, women's market

Not as long as she can reach into the crisper drawer.

[Flavius]

yeah but can they cook

[Vince Ferrer]

[SuziQ]

“What a fascinating modern age we live in!”- Captain Jack Aubrey.

[Myrddin]

Impressive. While it is very fast, is it capable of very fine control. Human muscle fibers come in a range from slow twitch to fast twitch. They are activated along an electrical continuum with more fibers recruited as the electrical stimulus increases. It there a similar continuum of operation, or does this stuff snap hard when electrical potential is applied? Does the material have any environmental weaknesses (temperature, UV light, ozone or other forms of chemical attack)?

[neverdem]

Does the material have any environmental weaknesses (temperature, UV light, ozone or other forms of chemical attack)?

It seems pretty stable over a wide range of temperature.

"Baughman is excited about another property of these muscles: their ability to withstand extreme temperatures. They keep their properties down to 80 K (-193ºC) and up to 1900 K (1627ºC), and Baughman sees no reason why these temperatures need be the limits - the reported temperature range was restricted only by their ability to make measurements in those conditions, he says."

[AFreeBird]

Does the material have any environmental weaknesses (temperature, UV light, ozone or other forms of chemical attack)?

Baughman is excited about another property of these muscles: their ability to withstand extreme temperatures. They keep their properties down to 80 K (-193ºC) and up to 1900 K (1627ºC), and Baughman sees no reason why these temperatures need be the limits — the reported temperature range was restricted only by their ability to make measurements in those conditions, he says.

Here's some aerogel at work. Neat stuff. Not the carbon nanotube stuff, but the original version, invented in some guys kitchen (IIRC) back in the 30's.

[FastCoyote]

This actually important to me as a bit of an inventor.

[Myrddin]

Better than asbestos in that application. I like the temperature ranges too. It would be an ideal element of an electro-mechanical actuator with a broad temperature operating range...likely better than the other materials in the actuator. Very nice stuff.

[Yardstick]

Wow, seems like huge potential here.