A venture company "Esmasuru" from Tokyo Institute of Technology and Okayama University, which manufactures pneumatically driven thin artificial muscles, was established.Thin artificial muscles are woven into support suits and corsets for long-term care and welfare, and can be applied to robots that move smoothly like humans. Samples will be shipped to research institutes and manufacturers from July, and sales will begin with the goal of 7.
According to Tokyo Institute of Technology, Esmasul is headquartered in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, with a capital of 81 yen.Koichi Suzumori, a professor at the Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, serves as the president, and Shuichi Wakimoto, an associate professor at the Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Okayama University, serves as a director.Kumihimo maker Ikeda Seisakusho (Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture) and Koganei Pneumatic Equipment (Koganei City, Tokyo) have invested.
The artificial muscle that starts shipping samples has an outer diameter of 2 to 5 mm.Compared to the outer diameter of 10 to 40 mm of products that have been on the market in the past, it is much thinner and can be woven into a support suit to achieve a light and soft fit.
Esmasuru will ship three types with outer diameters of 7 mm, 2 mm, and 2.5 mm as samples from July, and will further promote practical use in collaboration with Tokyo Institute of Technology and Okayama University to challenge the development of even better products.
Professor Suzumori and Associate Professor Wakimoto started developing artificial muscles in 2011 with the cooperation of Ikeda Seisakusho, and succeeded in developing thin and supple products.Esmasul was established because of a series of requests from the apparel, welfare and nursing care, and robot industries to use artificial muscles.
