Engineering and Technology

A supertough electro-tendon based on spider silk composites

L. Pan, F. Wang, et al.

Discover the groundbreaking development of a supertough electro-tendon made from spider silk composites, capable of enhancing the design of humanoid robotic hands. This innovative research, conducted by Liang Pan, Fan Wang, Yuan Cheng, Wan Ru Leow, Yong-Wei Zhang, Ming Wang, Pingqiang Cai, Baohua Ji, Dechang Li, and Xiaodong Chen, reveals an electro-tendon that combines both strength and conductivity, revolutionizing robotic applications.

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Abstract

Current tendon fibers used in tendon-driven robotic hands suffer from low toughness and high friction. This paper introduces a supertough electro-tendon made from spider silk composites, exhibiting a toughness of 420 MJ/m³ and conductivity of 1077 S/cm. Mechanically toughened by single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and electrically enhanced by PEDOT:PSS, this electro-tendon withstands over 40,000 bending-stretching cycles without conductivity loss. Its ability to simultaneously transmit signals and force allows for integration into a humanoid robotic hand, simplifying the design and improving grasping functions.

Publisher

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS

Published On

Mar 12, 2020

Authors

Liang Pan, Fan Wang, Yuan Cheng, Wan Ru Leow, Yong-Wei Zhang, Ming Wang, Pingqiang Cai, Baohua Ji, Dechang Li, Xiaodong Chen

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