Synthetic muscle that lifts 1,000 TIMES its own weight

Humanoid robots are a step closer after engineers developed synthetic muscle that can lift a thousand times its own weight.
The 3D-printable synthetic soft muscle doesn’t need an external compressor or high voltage equipment as previous models did.
The artificial muscle can push, pull, bend and twist, as well as lift weight.
A team of engineers at Columbia University says up until now no material has been capable of functioning as a soft muscle.
This is due to an inability to show the desired properties of high stress and strain.
Inspired by living organisms, team leader Professor Hod Lipson said soft material robotics hold ‘great promise’ for areas where robots need to contact and interact with humans, such as manufacturing and healthcare.