Electromagnetic Muscle

An actuator with the ability to extend and retract through the activation of a series of electromagnets which then either attract or repel each other in order to create the cumulative actuation motion.

The EM could take many final forms. Some similar to hydraulic pistons where the electromagnets are stacked within a tube and are powered through a rail along the edge, thus extending a piston. Another form could use, instead of a tube, a rod which the magnets, with holes in the center, would be able to slide along. Yet another design, which I prefer due to its applications is prosthetics, would be a flexible system with only contractive abilities in order to truly replace lost muscles by its rapid release of contractive force. For example if an EM were fitted to a prosthetic ankle it could be activated in a short burst during the active part of the walking cycle thereby adding a "spring" to the step of the wearer.

The EM's muscle-like abilities make it predominately viable in prosthetics and bio-inspired robotics. But is is capable of being an option to replace standard solenoids. For by calibrating the elastics control of the current flowing through the electromagnets can vary the speed and strength of the muscle.

I am currently developing  a prototype and and hope to gain research funds. The system depicted in this post is actually very crude. If such a set-up could be created in smaller fibers, which could then be combined into bundles, it would be possible to make very reliable artificial muscles, that are nearly indistinguishable from the biological.