Biomimetic Thin Film Muscles

The assembly of biohybrid materials from engineered tissues and synthetic polymer thin films, which behave as thin muscle films which can mimic the motion of muscle. These structures are designed to perform biomimetic tasks by varying tissue architecture, thin-film shape, and electrical-pacing protocol. The centimeter-scale constructs perform functions as diverse as gripping, pumping, walking, and swimming with fine spatial and temporal control.