NUS Researchers Develop Fastest Biohybrid Swimming Robot
- tech360.tv
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a new method for strengthening lab-grown muscles, leading to the creation of the fastest swimming biohybrid robot reported to date. This innovation addresses a significant limitation in biohybrid robotics.
The team built a platform connecting two engineered muscle tissues, allowing them to continuously pull against each other. As the muscles naturally contract during early development, they effectively create their own workout, removing the need for external stimulation or control systems.
This self-training approach resulted in record-breaking performance. The strengthened muscles powered a biohybrid swimming robot called OstraBot, which achieved speeds of 467 millimetres per minute.
The concept builds on the known biological behaviour of immature muscle cells spontaneously contracting as they develop. Researchers designed a system where two muscle tissues are linked through a sliding structure.
When one tissue contracts, it stretches the other, which then contracts in response. This creates a continuous cycle of motion that strengthens both tissues over time.
“As the cells mature, they naturally begin to contract spontaneously,” said Assistant Professor Tan Yu Jun. “Because the two tissues are connected, they continuously pull against each other, effectively exercising without any external control.”
The trained muscles achieved a maximum force of 7.05 millinewtons and a stress of 8.51 millinewtons per square millimetre, significantly exceeding typical lab-grown muscle performance. The method also utilises a widely available commercial cell line, which makes it easier to reproduce and scale.
The stronger muscles were integrated into OstraBot, a fish-inspired robot that mimics the swimming style of boxfish. Using a single trained muscle to drive flexible tails, the robot swam more than three times faster than versions powered by conventional muscle tissue.
Beyond speed, the system also demonstrated improved control. Researchers could adjust the robot’s movement by changing electrical signals and even trigger it to start and stop using sound cues such as clapping.
“The clap shows that the robot is not just alive — it is controllable,” Assistant Professor Tan stated. “In the past, muscle-powered robots either moved constantly without clear control or were too weak to respond visibly.”
Tan added that the strengthened skeletal muscle allows the robot to react clearly to an external signal, similar to how nerves control muscles in the body. The team believes this work removes a key bottleneck in the field and opens the door to more capable biohybrid systems.
The breakthrough could help unlock a new class of soft, efficient machines powered by living cells, with potential uses in medicine, environmental monitoring, and biodegradable robotics. Researchers are currently working on fully biodegradable robots that can safely break down after completing their tasks, including temporary medical implants or environmental sensors deployed in fragile ecosystems.
The study was published in the journal *Nature Communications*.
Researchers at the National University of Singapore developed self-trained lab-grown muscles.
These muscles powered OstraBot, a biohybrid swimming robot, to a record speed of 467 millimetres per minute.
The self-training method involves two connected muscle tissues continuously pulling against each other.
Source: INTERESTING ENGINEERING
