This Hydrogel Actuator Is 1000× Stronger & 19× Faster. A New Breakthrough in Soft Robotics. Scientists have developed a next-generation soft hydrogel actuator that behaves like artificial muscle but delivers extreme force and speed. The material is soft like jelly, yet engineered to produce very high output force strong enough to split a brick in testing conditions. The design uses a turgor-pressure inspired structure combined with electro-osmosis. When a small electric current is applied, fluid