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    Stingray Soft Robot could lead to Bio-Inspired Robotics

    January 15, 2018, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Physics, Technology/Electronics

    Artist’s concept of a stingray soft robot. (Image: UCLA)

    Artist’s concept of a stingray soft robot. (Image: UCLA)

    UCLA bioengineering professor Ali Khademhosseini has led the development of a tissue-based soft robot that mimics the biomechanics of a stingray. The new technology could lead to advances in bio-inspired robotics, regenerative medicine and medical diagnostics. The simple body design of stingrays, specifically, a flattened body shape and side fins that start at the head and end at the base of their tail, makes them ideal to model bio-electromechanical systems on.

    The 10-millimeter long robot is made up of four layers: tissue composed of live heart cells, two distinct types of specialized biomaterials for structural support, and flexible electrodes...

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    Now you can ‘Build your own’ Bio-Bot

    February 13, 2017, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Physics, Technology/Electronics

    Bio-bot design process overview.

    (a) Bio-bot design is inspired by biological design in the body. (b) Bio-bot skeletons and muscle bioactuator injection molds are designed using computer-aided design (CAD) software (Steps 1 and 2), (c) tested using finite element analysis (FEA) software (Steps 20–25), and (d) manufactured via stereolithographic 3D printing (Steps 3–10). (e) Muscle rings are tissue-engineered and coupled to bio-bot skeletons (Steps 11–16), and assessed via (f) immunohistochemical staining (Step 26) and (g) externally stimulated force production (Step 19). Each step of the design process (a–g) is iterative, and feedback from each step is used to improve the functionality of the bio-bot with each iteration. Scale bars, 2 mm (e); 500 μm (f). a,c,f adapted with permission from ref...

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