The Artificial Muscle Center: dedicated implant projects for soft robotics

Whenever something moves in the human body, our muscles do the work. However, while today it is part of everyday clinical practice to replace joints and bones with artificial parts, reconstruction medicine still has great difficulties finding a suitable replacement for damaged or destroyed muscles. There is one muscle in particular whose function is vital and is the subject of several studies, but without convincing results: the heart. Other muscles of the body actually share mechanical similarities with the heart, including the sphincter muscle, which, if damaged, can cause urinary incontinence. Facial muscles also share such similarities and must be replaced after an accident or injury. Although these muscles do not play a vital role in the body, they remain extremely important for patients’ quality of life, for example a well-functioning sphincter muscle is critical in order to avoid unpleasant side effects such as needing to wear diapers. The parallels between muscle types could allow the development of universal electromechanical multifunctional actuators. Within the new Center for Artificial Muscles, EPFL, in cooperation with its partners in heart surgery, face reconstruction and urology - University of Bern and Reconstructive Medicine - University of Zürich, aims to become the world’s leading reference for the development and clinical transfer of a brand-new technological approach for artificial muscles in the human body. The proposed keynote intends to show some examples realized in this new center.