EPFL engineers have built FiberMotor, a 1–3-millimeter-diameter linear motor made from two concentric hollow fibers. Electrical voltage makes the fibers slide telescopically, creating bidirectional movement without gears or rigid transmissions. The laboratory prototype has lifted about 75 grams per motor and has been sewn into a knee-shaped garment, but it is not yet a consumer product or medical device.
How FiberMotor produces motion
Each FiberMotor contains an inner hollow fiber and an outer hollow fiber. Insulated copper-wire electrodes are wound around both. When voltage is applied, electrostatic forces repeatedly align the electrodes. That alignment pulls the inner fiber along the outer fiber, producing a sliding, linear stroke similar to a miniature telescope.
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Unlike a rotary motor that needs a gearbox, or a pneumatic artificial muscle that shortens, FiberMotor directly produces the kind of straight-line movement used for lifting, pushing and pulling. The motor is also backdriveable: an opposing force can slide it in the reverse direction rather than locking the mechanism. That characteristic may help wearable systems yield naturally when a wearer moves or encounters resistance.
EPFL’s Soft Transducers Laboratory describes the device as the first fiber-format sliding motor. Its small diameter and flexibility are intended to let designers distribute many actuators through a textile instead of mounting one heavy, rigid drive in a single location.
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What the prototype has demonstrated
| Demonstration | Reported result | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Single FiberMotor | About 75 grams of stationary load | A laboratory force result for one motor, not a garment payload rating |
| Four-motor bundle | Lifted a 46-gram chocolate bar | Shows that motors can be combined to increase available force |
| Robotic hand | Flexed a tendon-driven finger | Demonstrates useful actuation in a soft-robotics mechanism |
| Wearable integration | One motor installed in a knee-shaped prototype garment | Confirms physical integration, not finished clothing performance |
These results were reported by EPFL in 2026. They are proof-of-concept demonstrations under laboratory conditions. They do not establish how many motors a person would need for walking assistance, how long a battery would last, or whether the fibers can survive repeated washing and everyday wear.
Why a textile motor matters
Linear motion without rigid hardware
Everyday assistance at a knee, elbow or finger generally requires a linear pull or push. Conventional wearable robots often convert rotary motor output through gears, pulleys or linkages. Those parts add bulk, stiffness and potential pinch points. A sliding fiber can follow a garment’s shape and pull a tendon or fabric panel more directly.
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Distributed force
A single 75-gram load capability is modest, so practical clothing would likely use multiple fibers working together. Their thin form factor could allow actuators to be placed along a sleeve, trouser leg or support panel, spreading force and weight across the garment rather than concentrating it at one joint.
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Flexible and backdriveable behavior
FiberMotor is designed to bend with fabric and to move in either direction. Backdriveability could make interaction more compliant than a heavily geared drive, although wearer safety still depends on voltage isolation, control software, mechanical stops and the complete garment design.
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Potential applications EPFL is investigating
- Soft exosuits: distributed fibers could assist movement around a joint while preserving textile flexibility.
- Haptic wearables: controlled pulls could provide physical cues for virtual-reality interfaces.
- Lightweight prosthetics: fiber actuators might operate compact mechanisms where rigid motors are difficult to fit.
- Intent-aware assistance: the team is studying feedback from a wearer’s position and movement so actuation can respond to the wearer’s intended motion.
These are proposed development directions, not products currently certified for rehabilitation, medical treatment or consumer use.
How FiberMotor compares with EPFL’s earlier fiber pumps
The motor follows EPFL research on fiber pumps published in Science in 2023. Those pump fibers are about 2 mm in diameter and use charge-injection electrohydrodynamics to move dielectric liquid. EPFL reported that each meter could generate roughly 1 atmosphere (100 kPa) of pressure, exceed 50 ml/min flow and weigh about 1 gram. Pumps could be woven or sewn into clothing for thermal regulation, temperature-related haptic effects and fabric-based artificial muscles.
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FiberMotor and the pumps share a textile-oriented format but perform different jobs: the pump moves fluid and creates pressure, while FiberMotor creates direct mechanical translation through sliding fibers. A future garment could potentially combine both approaches, but EPFL has not announced such a production system.
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- Force scaling: more force requires bundling motors, increasing wiring, control complexity and energy demand.
- Electrical requirements: EPFL’s 2026 description reports electrostatic voltage-driven operation but does not state operating voltage, battery size, power draw or controller specifications.
- Durability: EPFL is still improving materials, electrode thickness, performance and service life.
- Washability: no wash-cycle rating or finished textile-care procedure has been published.
- Comfort and safety: a wearable design must isolate conductors, manage heat and prevent unintended motion while remaining comfortable against the body.
- Stroke length: travel is limited by the physical fiber length, rather than by the small contraction range typical of artificial muscles.
Is FiberMotor available to buy?
No retail product, consumer price, production timetable or replacement-part program is stated. FiberMotor remains a research prototype under development. EPFL identifies Elecsyor, founded by first author Sylvain Schaller, as the startup commercializing the technology, but commercial availability has not been announced.
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That distinction matters for anyone looking for a wearable motor today: the demonstrated garment is an experimental platform, not a purchasable exosuit, prosthetic actuator or ready-to-sew component. Any announcement about samples, partnerships or programs should be checked directly with the company or EPFL because terms may change as the design develops.
What to watch in future releases
The most useful next specifications will be continuous and peak force, stroke length, operating voltage, energy consumption, cycle life, noise, bend radius, textile attachment method and washing resistance. Evidence of a complete garment should also report the number and placement of motors, control electronics, battery runtime and user-testing conditions. Until those figures are available, FiberMotor is best understood as an enabling actuator format rather than a finished wearable product.
The Bottom Line
FiberMotor shows that a motor only a few millimeters wide can slide, bend and operate inside a textile. Its 2026 demonstrations are promising for soft exosuits, haptics and prosthetics, but commercialization, durability, power requirements and consumer availability remain unresolved.
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