Construction work can be backbreakingly physical. What if cutting-edge tech could take some of the load off your shoulders (literally)? Artificial muscles have the potential to change the physical labor game, allowing workers to lift heavier loads and making jobs easier and faster while relieving the toll it takes on the body.

Quick look

• Artificial muscles are designed to mimic human muscles: expanding, contracting, and lifting.
• New technologies incorporate magnetic composite materials, allowing muscles to relax and stiffen to lift just like a human muscle—except much stronger.
• Artificial muscles can boost productivity by helping humans lift heavier loads, reducing injuries, and taking over repetitive or dangerous tasks.
• Although the technology is still developing, several promising case studies have developed a leg and a bicep powered by artificial muscles.

What are artificial muscles?

As the name suggests, artificial muscles are designed to mimic how human muscles work and help people lift heavier loads than they’d be able to manage on their own. The muscles are often intended as wearable devices that assist humans in physically demanding tasks without risking injury. 

In the past, the usefulness of this technology has been limited by its design. Previous iterations of artificial muscle systems have been powered by hydraulics and motors, making them somewhat slow and heavy. New technology, however, has changed this. 

For example, researchers from the Ulsan Institute of Science and Technology have developed an artificial muscle system made from a magnetic composite material that can soften and stiffen, allowing the muscles to support over 1000 times their weight. The artificial muscles are designed to be fluid and responsive, similar to human muscles. The design “combines ferromagnetic particles with shape memory polymers to create a soft magnetic composite artificial muscle that significantly enhances both load-bearing capacity and elasticity.”

Will artificial muscles boost productivity? 

Artificial muscles have the potential to revolutionize the construction industry. Wearable devices can help construction workers by boosting their muscles and making lifting and carrying tasks much more manageable. Equipping laborers with artificial muscles can mean less physical strain, reduced fatigue, and fewer injuries.

Artificial muscles aren’t just for humans; they can also be attached to robotic devices. Robotics equipped with artificial muscles can be used to take over dangerous tasks or repetitive jobs, freeing human beings from spending hours hauling heavy materials.

Benefits of artificial muscles for the construction industry 

1. Reduced strain on workers

Construction is a physically demanding field, and injuries are alarmingly common. Artificial muscles can take over heavy lifting tasks, giving workers’ bodies a break and keeping employees strong and injury-free. 

2. Greater productivity

Artificial muscles can complete tasks faster than human beings, helping workers save time and energy on labor-intensive tasks and helping projects move quicker and more efficiently, which can help reduce construction delays. Using artificial muscles attached to robotics can offer further productivity gains by outsourcing dull, repetitive tasks.

3. Enhanced safety

Robots equipped with artificial muscles can take on hazardous jobs, such as working at heights, in tight, confined spaces, or around toxic materials. By delegating these tasks to robots with muscle power much greater than humans, we can limit human exposure to these dangerous situations and make construction sites safer for workers.

Case studies

Although significant technological advancements have been made in artificial muscles, we’re still at least a few years away from using this tech to help lift thousands of pounds. Some promising case studies have demonstrated the technology’s promise. 

A team from ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems have developed a robotic leg powered not by motors but by artificial muscles. The leg can jump and react to obstacles in its path by responding to the surface environment instead of sensors. Researchers at Northwestern University have also created an artificial bicep capable of lifting a 500-gram weight 5,000 times in a row.  

Bottom line

Artificial muscles are more than a futuristic dream—they’re a technology gearing up to make construction smarter, safer, and more efficient. Whether artificial muscles are built into robots or made to be worn by a human being, these innovations can help construction workers take a load off. 

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