Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Using isolated bullfrog skeletal muscle as an actuator, researchers at the Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences have built a wireless, near-infrared light-controlled bio-inspired manta ray robot. The work is reported in Advanced Functional Materials. The robot swims at an average of 0.54 body lengths per second and peaks at 2 body lengths per second, which the team describes as the highest relative speed for a skeletal-muscle-driven biohybrid robot. It also provides untethered underwater multi-degree-of-freedom control.