The Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials said that it has succeeded in developing a fabric that can support muscle strength as well as a wearable robot. The institute’s team of scientists made shape-memory alloy with a thickness of 20μm into spring-shaped threads and wove together like weaving a common cloth. A piece of the fabric that is the size of a palm weighs only 6.6g.

The shape-memory alloy is contracted by heat while generating 100N force or higher. The fabric can save half the muscle power by simply being attached to the arm during lifting the dumbbell. Stick the "muscle fabric" on the leg of the mannequin and let it contract, the mannequin can suddenly stand up, indicating that the fabric can support muscle strength.

The sensor is reported to recognize and assist the movements of human muscles through the contraction and relaxation at any time. The "muscle fabric" is lightweight and cheap not requiring an additional engine. If commercialized, the fabric is expected to be utilized in various fields that include hard physical labor, such as logistics and nursing, as well as in rehabilitation training.

Source: jiemian.com