AssetID: 54528571
Headline: RAW VIDEO: 'Terminator' Hand Built With Lab-Grown Muscles Brings Sci-Fi Closer To Reality
Caption: Scientists in Japan have developed a robotic hand eerily reminiscent of The Terminator, using lab-grown human muscle tissue to power its movements. The breakthrough, hailed as a major step towards biohybrid limbs, brings the prospect of sci-fi-style prosthetics one step closer. Built by researchers at the University of Tokyo and Waseda University, the hand is capable of grasping objects and even forming a scissor gesture. What sets it apart is its unique ‘living’ tendons - bundles of cultured muscle tissue rolled into sushi-like structures - giving the fingers the ability to contract with remarkable force. Until now, biohybrid devices have been restricted to minuscule models or simplistic motions, often no bigger than a centimetre in length. But this latest creation stands at 18cm and boasts multiple fingers that can move independently or in unison, mimicking real human dexterity. Professor Shoji Takeuchi, one of the scientists behind the project, said their key achievement was the development of MuMuTAs - thin strands of engineered muscle tissue grown in a culture medium, then rolled into bundles to create functional tendons. “This was our biggest challenge,” he explained. “We needed enough contractile force and length in the muscles to power the hand’s large structure.” The muscles are activated via electrical currents, sent through waterproof cables, allowing the fingers to flex and grasp objects. In tests, the robotic hand successfully performed a scissor gesture and even picked up a pipette tip - demonstrating its ability to execute precise and varied movements. However, there’s a catch. Just like a human at the gym, the muscles get tired. Researchers observed that after 10 minutes of continuous stimulation, the tissue showed signs of fatigue but astonishingly recovered within an hour of rest. “The fact that our engineered muscle tissue behaved in a similar way to real living tissue was an exciting discovery,” said Professor Takeuchi. For now, the hand must remain suspended in liquid to allow frictionless movement of the muscle ‘anchors’. But with further refinement, the researchers believe it won’t be long before they create a fully independent, free-moving biohybrid limb - bringing a future of realistic robotic prosthetics ever closer.
Keywords: feature,photo feature,photo story,science,tech,technology,design,robot,robotic,hand
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