Muscle cells power paper-thin swimming robot

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MIT engineers have built a paper-thin swimming robot powered by muscle cells that twitch in response to light. The two-finned device, made from a gel film, followed a light through an underwater maze.

The team grew muscle cells on grooved gelatin methacrylate, tuning the gel’s stiffness and pattern to help cells align and generate force. 

The team hopes to improve the robot’s speed and shape. The team homes that future muscle-powered devices could monitor aquatic environments or explore delicate settings where conventional machines may be unsuitable. 

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