Method for manufacturing muscle bundles and biohybrid robots using the same

Biohybrid Robot Using Gold-Hyaluronic Acid Nanoparticle Muscle Bundles

This technology involves a biohybrid robot and a method for manufacturing muscle bundles. The robot’s drive unit consists of muscle bundles cultured with gold nanoparticles immobilized with hyaluronic acid, while its propulsion unit is composed of a plate-shaped support and an oar.

Conventional industrial robots, due to their rigid structures, have limited adaptability to their surroundings. Soft robots, intended as alternatives, have struggled to achieve the driving force and cellular bioactivity levels comparable to living muscle tissue.

By incorporating gold-hyaluronic acid nanoparticles, this technology enhances the electrical conductivity and cellular bioactivity of muscle bundles and proposes a method for connecting multiple mobile units. It can be utilized for drug screening for muscle disease prevention and treatment, as well as for the development of bio-actuators, significantly advancing the driving force and practicality of tissue-based robots.

‍

‍

Key Features:

• Propulsion unit comprising a plate-shaped support and an oar extending longitudinally from one end of the support
• Drive unit comprising a pair of pillars arranged vertically in parallel beneath the support, surrounded by muscle bundles
• Muscle bundles manufactured by co-culturing muscle cells with gold nanoparticles immobilized with hyaluronic acid
• Configuration further including a connector that links the supports of two or more parallel mobile units

‍

This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT’s project for brain-assembloid-based biomimetic sensing biohybrid robots, the Ministry of Science and ICT’s project for organoid-based nanobiohybrid actuator chips for drug screening, and the Ministry of Education’s project for developing nanobiochips for brain disease drug evaluation.