Liquid crystals add oomph to ’artificial muscles’ for robotsAn international team led by researchers at the University of Waterloo has developed new material that can be used as flexible "artificial muscles" to replace rigid motors and pumps in robots and allow them to move more naturally and fluidly. Soft robots differ from hard robots in that they are pliable and flexible, making them safe for interaction with people, but the materials currently used for components enabling their movement aren't strong enough to be effective.
