The Robotic Muscles Toolkit

Welcome to Robotic Muscles Kit! We aim to provide a repository of info concerning specific types of artificial muscle actuators, as well as detailing low-cost, accessible methods to construct these yourself for use in your own student, hobbyist, or other educational projects.

The Robotic Muscles Kit is a student-driven design project from UC San Diego (La Jolla, CA, USA), headed by Duyen Tran, Pio Blanco-campos, Sarita Giri, and Kevin Yu, as well as mentored by Professor Michael Yip. It was started as an initiative under the UCSD Bioengineering Department's Senior Design Project sequence.

Accessibility - Now and Forever

Artificial muscle actuators (AMA's) are revolutionary, being able to perform bending, torsional, and other abnormal types of movement that conventional motor, gear, or pneumatic/hydraulic systems simply cannot. But, their lack of broad appeal stems from a lack of awareness. Most information regarding this technology can only be found in dense, academic papers and laboratory research.

We aim to provide this information in an easily-digestible format, with language that any high schooler or college student with a basic physics background can understand. We don't hide our knowledge behind a paywall, or obscure it with dense academic language. In doing so, we seek to streamline the implementation of AMA's in student projects much like our own, and further popularize AMA-based devices.

Cost - for Students in Mind

Robots are expensive, and students are often strapped for cash. Low-cost methods are thus essential for student design teams to successfully implement their vision. In keeping with our intentions, our AMA designs are each buildable within a $100 budget.

Design - Learn by Doing

Building a device that can move on its own isn't magic! Rather, clever application of physics principles is at the heart of each actuator, turning the act of building one into an enriching educational experience. We cover all of the information you'll need to know to get started on your own artificial muscle, and even cover known applications that may inspire ways to implement a muscle-driven robot of your own!