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A muscle wire (or flexinol) is an artificial muscle strand. They are near the width of a human hair and made of a titanium alloy. When electricity flows through the wire, the wire suddenly (in a fraction of a second) shortens in length. When the electric current stops, the wire returns to its original length. The muscle wire contains coils of molecules which react to electricity. The effect is like the contraction of a living muscle triggered by a signal from the brain through the nerves. Muscle wires are thinner, more sensitive, and appear more life-like than conventional robot muscles ( pneumatic, hydraulic, etc.). Muscle wires can lift thousands of times their own weight.Muscle wires are also temperature sensitive. In a cold environment, it remains long, even if an electric current is passed through it. In a hot environment, it stays short, even if a current flows through it. If they are to be use in practical applications, they must be in a middle temperature environment or be covered with insulation, such as mylar or fiber optic tubes.
Muscle wires have been used in small insect-like robots, smart bullets, and to turn a wheel.
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