Metal Muscle

摘要

An artificial muscle being developed using shape memory alloy wires that work like natural muscle fibres promises prosthetic limbs that offer more natural movement for amputees.rnChris Harris, professor of neuro-science at Plymouth University, is leading cross-disciplinary research to develop the muscle based on a model of how the brain and muscles interact to produce movement.rn'We're very stereotyped in the way we move,' said Harris. 'If you reach for an object, you do it on a very smooth trajectory. It's to do with how the neural control is organised to optimise accuracy and speed. The brain sends control signals to a local control circuit in your spinal cord and expects certain things to happen.'