There have been a recent few articles on attaching human consciousness to artificial mediums, like this University of Washington experiment. Or futurist Ray Kurzweil’s prediction of the approaching “singularity,” the merging of biology and technology. Or This Article on developing computer circuits through biology rather than technology. Now the University of Singapore is announcing significant advance in creating artificial bodies to potentially carry those brains around.

Robotics first: Engineering team makes artificial muscles that can lift loads 80 times their weight
posted on September 07, 2013 08:16PM GMT

A research team from the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Faculty of Engineering has created efficient artificial, or “robotic” muscles, which could carry a weight 80 times its own and able to extend to five times its original length when carrying the load – a first in robotics. The team’s invention will pave the way for the constructing of life-like robots with superhuman strength and ability.
In addition, these novel artificial muscles could potentially convert and store energy, which could help the robots power themselves after a short period of charging.

Led by Dr Adrian Koh from NUS’ Engineering Science Programme and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the four-member team has been working on the project since July 2012.

Robots – current limitations

Robots, no matter how intelligent, are restricted by their muscles which are able to lift loads only half its own weight – about equivalent to an average human’s strength (though some humans could lift loads up to three times their weight). Artificial muscles have been known to extend to only three times its original length when similarly stressed. The muscle’s degree of extendability is a significant factor contributing to the muscle’s efficiency as it means that it could perform a wider range of operations while carrying heavy loads.

Super, artificial muscles

Explaining how he and his multidisciplinary team managed to design and create their novel superhuman muscles, Dr Koh said, “Our materials mimic those of the human muscle, responding quickly to electrical impulses, instead of slowly for mechanisms driven by hydraulics. Robots move in a jerky manner because of this mechanism. Now, imagine artificial muscles which are pliable, extendable and react in a fraction of a second like those of a human. Robots equipped with such muscles will be able to function in a more human-like manner – and outperform humans in strength.”

In order to achieve this, Dr Koh and his team have used polymers which could be stretched over 10 times their original length. Translated scientifically, this means that these muscles have a strain displacement of 1,000 per cent.

For the full article visit Phys.Org

Of course in fiction we tend to limit the potential of robotics to basically human shaped.

From the basically benign…

To the subversive…

To the outright malevolent.

All, in the end merely manifestation of our own imperfect selves. But there is no reason for that limitation, especially when you consider the physical advantages that many other forms of life have over us, the speed of a quadruped, the mobility of birds and fish, etc. I begin to wonder about the potential for humans to begin to choose their form rather than submit to it. For a good read that incorporates that idea check out Greg Bear’s “Eon” where the future of humanity do exactly that. Each new citizen, an amalgam of its parents personalities (and parents are no longer limited by number) exists purely as a created consciousness within an internet like computer system until they have been of service to the society. Once they have earned the privilege, each consciousness selects its own body in a society where form is a matter of fad and some choose basically human forms, while others opt for purely abstract bodies based on everything from artistic expression to pure functionality. And when each has lived out a certain number of incarnations, it re enters the mainframe and merges with those who have gone before.

Or

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