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284 Biomimetics: Biologically Inspired Technologies

Figure 10.14 The ERI arm wrestling with the 17-year-old human opponent, Panna Felsen. This arm has the size
of an average human arm and it managed to last for 26 sec against Panna.

Figure 10.15 The arm that was made by the Swiss Company, EMPA, is shown wrestling with Panna Felsen. The
rubber glove that the Panna is using provided her electrical insulation for protection.

3. The arm that was made by the three senior students from the Engineering Science and Mechanics
Department, Virginia Tech (see Figure 10.17) managed to last 3 sec. As an EAP actuator they
constructed batches of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) gel fibers that were designed to operate as artificial
muscles. This EAP material was shown experimentally to produce close to 200% linear strain and