US-developed New Pneumatic Artificial Muscle Lets Robots Lift 100x Their Own Weight

A team from Arizona State University in the U.S. has developed a new pneumatic artificial muscle, breaking through traditional motor-driven limitations to enable robots to lift objects 100 times their own weight. The results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The core technology uses HARP (Helical Anisotropic Reinforced Polymer) actuators, mimicking natural muscle contraction and expansion. Driven by a small amount of air, it is flexible, lightweight, and nearly silent. Robots can walk independently without external power and withstand extreme high temperatures and abrasive environments.

Applications include disaster rescue (searching through ruins), industrial precision tasks (elephant trunk-like bionic arms), and wearable back support devices to reduce lifting strain. The team has filed a provisional patent and received academic funding from NVIDIA.