New soft robotic heart accurately mimics the complex movements of human valves

A soft, silicone heart that actually beats. Researchers at UNSW Sydney have built a fully synthetic robotic replica of the human heart's left side, one that can mimic not just healthy function but the mechanics of disease.

The device reproduces the internal structures that real hearts depend on, including valves, papillary muscles, and the tiny tendons that keep them in check. By adjusting tension in those artificial muscles, researchers can simulate conditions like mitral valve prolapse, where blood leaks backward instead of flowing forward.

"The model can reproduce key pressure, flow, motion, valve, and imaging features that align with human heart behavior," says Scientia Associate Professor Thanh Nho Do.

The goal is ambitious: reduce animal testing, help develop safer cardiac devices, and eventually build patient-specific models that surgeons can practice on before ever entering an operating room.

The team calls it a proof of concept, not a finished tool. But for the millions affected by heart failure worldwide, it's a genuinely promising first beat.