EPFL's FiberMotor is a flexible fiber motor for soft robots

Researchers at EPFL built the FiberMotor, a motor shaped as a thin flexible fiber 1–3 mm in diameter, made of two nested polymer tubes with copper wire electrodes. One motor holds about 75 g, while four bundled units lift a 46 g bar and flex a robotic finger; spinoff Elecsyor is commercializing it.

• FiberMotor diameter ranges from 1 to 3 mm
• A single motor supports a static load of about 75 g
• Four motors lift 46 g and flex a tendon-driven finger
• No gears or transmissions, so the motor is back-driveable