Nanotube Muscles Are Strong As Steel, Light As Air

Al writes "Scientists from the University of Texas at Dallas have created nanotube-based artificial muscles that are light as air and work even under extreme temperatures. The 'muscles' expand width-wise by about 200 percent when a voltage is applied, but are stronger than steel lengthwise. The nanotubes within the fiber naturally stick together. Applying a voltage makes them obtain a charge and repel one another. The researchers created them by stretching bundles of entangled carbon nanotubes into long threads. Several cool videos show the strange stuff in action. Some experts, including one from NASA, believe that the nanotube muscles' ability to withstand extreme heat and cold could make them suitable shape-shifting materials for future space missions."

Comments

Make a BIG lightweight net, capture space junk

[wisebabo]

The fact that it is "strong as steel" and "light as air" seems to me like it could be made into a (very) big net that, when launched into orbit could capture space junk. Hopefully the fact that it stretches 200% could mean that it would have enough elasticity to absorb some of the kinetic energy of the space junk.

As long as the space junk didn't make holes in it, it would slow the junk enough so that they would fall out of orbit quickly. (Maybe the impact of a lot of junk would require periodic re-boosting of the net, I don't know.)

Another idea would be to use AEROGELS. This super lightweight material has already been proven to slow down hyper velocity objects (admittedly just particles) in the spacecraft "Stardust". The main problem with aerogels would be launching it into orbit, although it is very light the necessary volume required would be huge. However, if it could be manufactured in space then just a small amount of raw material could make a gigantic volume of the stuff.

Re:Little bit hyped.

[Instine]

I think you're right that this will never produce the forces required for most 'muscle' purposes.
However if it holds its charge it could be very exciting in terms of capacitance!
I've been playing with synthetic muscles, and I believe magnatism id the only likely way forward. But that Nanotubes are the solution. Esspecially if submerged in ferro fluids, or paramagnetic liquids (e.g. liquid oxygen, though that would not be great re safety). I've already had a bash at simply using thin wire: see vid of lego coil maker and seen here for brief comments.