High Res TIFF (2.8 MB)

Artificial Muscles Used as a Gripper

This demonstrate the use of artificial muscles, or electroactive polymers (EAPs), which are lightweight strips of highly flexible plastic that bend and function similarly to human fingers when electrical voltage is applied to them.

JPL's Dr. Yoseph Bar-Cohen and a small team of scientists and engineers are working to turn these strips into grippers and strings which can grab and lift loads, among many other potential uses, as a way of simplifying robotic spacecraft tasks. Further information about Bar-Cohen's research is available at: http://ndeaa.jpl.nasa.gov.