A group of local scientists has developed a fabric that serves as an artificial muscle.  

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials said Wednesday that it has succeeded in developing a textile that can support muscular strength as well as a wearable robot.  

The institute’s team of scientists wove together shape-memory alloy with a thickness of 20 micrometers, or a fourth of a strand of hair. 

A piece of the fabric that is the size of a palm weighs only six-point-six grams and can lift objects of some ten kilograms. 

If commercialized, the fabric is expected to be utilized in various fields that include hard physical labor, such as logistics and nursing, as well as in rehabilitation training.