Home / Technology / Clothes Now Muscles: Wearable Tech Revolution
Clothes Now Muscles: Wearable Tech Revolution
22 Nov
Summary
- New fabric muscles can lift 33 pounds, weighing less than an ounce.
- Automated weaving system mass-produces ultra-thin coiled material.
- Wearable robots cut muscle effort by over 40% in testing.
Scientists in South Korea have developed an automated system to mass-produce ultra-thin "fabric muscles," a material that can flex and lift like human tissue. This breakthrough innovation, created by the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), utilizes shape-memory alloy coils thinner than a human hair, woven into a flexible fabric.
Despite weighing less than half an ounce, these fabric muscles can lift up to 33 pounds, offering a significant improvement over traditional bulky and noisy motors or pneumatic systems in wearable robots. The new material's natural fiber core allows for greater flexibility while retaining its strength, enabling seamless movement with the body.
Testing has shown that clothing-type wearable robots powered by this technology can reduce muscle effort by over 40% during repetitive tasks. In hospital trials, patients with muscle weakness experienced over 57% improvement in shoulder movement, suggesting broad applications from industrial settings to patient recovery and enhanced daily living.
