Researchers have created an artificial muscle which heals itself and also generates electricity. Part of the technology is already being used in Japan to generate electricity from the ocean’s waves.

This new technology could have many uses, from creating walking robots, to developing better prosthetics or even charge your mp3 player.

Artificial muscles have been used for several years but some get so big, developing film thickness, and this leads to muscle failure. This time, researchers used flexible nanotubes as electrodes instead of other films which were metal based. If one areaof the nanotube fails, it is immediately sealed, so the damage doesn’t extend.

The artificial muscle was submitted to several tests, such as being stabbed with pins, and it passed these tests successfully, while any other artificial muscles would have failed.

What is more, the muscles conserves about 70% of the energy it is given, and, as the material contracts after the nanotubes are arranged, an electrical current is generated, that can be used to power another expansion or stored in a battery.