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Toyota Patents Artificial Muscles for Robots, Might Build Them in the U.S.

Toyota’s new robots will be able to move in a similar fashion to humans if the Japanese carmaker manages to properly implement its newly disclosed artificial muscle solution. The technology is developed in Japan, but the production will start in the U.S., more specifically in Texas.
Abstract Image of Robot with Artificial Muscles 7 photos
Photo: Taiki Ishikawa on Unsplash
Toyota T-HR3 RobotToyota T-HR3 RobotToyota T-HR3 RobotToyota T-HR3 RobotHumanoid Robot ConceptToyota T-HR3 Robot
As a freshly United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) filing is disclosed, we find out Toyota is venturing deeper into the world of robots. Seemingly, the auto brand wants to follow in the footsteps of Honda and Mitsubishi by expanding into new fields of production. The new technology Toyota plans on using surely gives it the chance to succeed.

It’s not the first time we hear about robots that will have a muscle-mimetic moving behavior. We’ve already seen the progress made by MIT’s Mini Cheetah three years ago, the international tour of Hanson’s Sophia and Boston Dynamic’s Atlas that started doing parkour. Most recently, however, we’ve been presented with robots that are able to mimic human expressions. These are already named humanoids. Technology is certainly stepping up.

As a for-profit company, Toyota doesn’t want to be left behind. It’s starting its own kind of robots, besides the car, textile machinery and handling equipment businesses it already has up and running. These new machines will have artificial muscles that will allow the movement to be somewhat similar to humans. The USPTO patent application shows how it will be done and where: Texans, get ready.

You should also know Toyota has been eyeing this sector since 2014, when it first started proper investments in this area. It presented its first working prototype in 2017 with the T-HR3. Since then, the robot has been upgraded and the attention was concentrated on joint control and balance. That’s why we’re seeing a new patent now.

Toyota T\-HR3 Robot
Photo: Toyota

A new Toyota robot

Known almost worldwide thanks to the reliable cars it makes, Toyota says that the robotic technologies available now rely too much on rigid components as servomotors. The company says this presents some downsides as the robots today are too heavy. It plans to change this by introducing new robots with artificial muscles. Basically, this technology will work like actuators that we’ve already seen in practice. These devices convert different types of energy into mechanical movement. You guessed it: they are present in electric motors, but also in sliding doors, adjustable car seats, escalators, or brakes.

What Toyota is trying to patent here is a new way of putting actuators to work. Instead of using liquids, the company plans on using the advantages of vacuum coupled with electrodes and polymers. These three elements will provide the necessary environment for the robots to have mechanisms of movement that mimic humans.

The artificial muscles will in reality be an electrode assembly that includes a layer stack that serves as a positioning facilitator which also has an electrode that’s put between a vacuum insulator and a support item made from a tough, yet flexible plastic. It sounds complicated and it is, but the solution is a practical one. What we don’t know is how the company will be able the source all the materials and parts needed, given the current circumstances.

Toyota T\-HR3 Robot
Photo: Toyota
Exact details of how this new technology will function can be found in the PDF filing attached below.

What you need to remember is that Toyota wants these artificial muscles to work in robots sent into harsh environments. The company plans to build them for dangerous human activities or repetitive ones that usually have a negative impact on human health. These new robots could also allow for remote control done by humans via the 5G network which would lessen the potential negative impact this technology could have on jobs. It would also help specialists do important work without travelling. Moreover, bionic suits are already used to help humans regain their lost movement. This is just another beginning.

Finally, being a car company at heart, it’s no wonder Toyota wants to develop new and improved ways of mobility. Plus, let’s not forget the company promised at CES in 2018 that physical, virtual, and emotional movement have the company “engaged in robot development.”
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Editor's note: Gallery shows photos of various robots, and the T-HR3.

 Download: Toyota's USPTO filing for robots with artificial muscles (PDF)

About the author: Florin Amariei
Florin Amariei profile photo

Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one.
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