Bionic iPhone?

26 March 2008

Now self healing artificial muscles can charge an iPhone.

Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles, USA, have developed a new artificial muscle which can, bizarrely, charge an iPhone. The muscle itself has been constructed via carbon nanotubes and generates electricity.

Its ultimate destination will be either placed within a new generation of robots or, indeed, as part of an advanced prosthetic for human use. It's also a ‘green' muscle in that it conserves 70% of the energy put into it.

The inherent current can be used to charge batteries from ocean waves (an ongoing project in itself in Japan) or power an iPhone - with the correct interface built-in of course.