Scientists from elite universities have found a new way of creating artificial muscles. They called their discovery a "soft robot". It weighs 2.6 grams and looks like a small water-filled bag. An origami-inspired framework gives it support and strength. This means it can lift something 1,000 times its own weight. This is like a newborn baby lifting a four-wheel-drive car. The ground-breaking discovery could benefit many areas of science and medicine.
The scientists work in the area of soft robotics. Their muscle takes 10 minutes to make and costs less than a dollar. A researcher hopes to create "softer" robots that are like humans. He said: "Humans are normally soft and brittle compared to the big industrial robots….The next step is to take this system and develop it into a fully functional robot." It could be like the human hand - strong enough to grip an object, while being soft and gentle.