Electrostatic artificial muscle: compact, high-power linear actuators with multiple-layer structures

Abstract

Two types of compact, high-power, electrostatically driven actuators with multiple-layer structure, electrostatic artificial muscles, are developed. The actuators have 40 or 50 pairs of sheets interleaved together and enclosed in ready-to-use packages filled with a dielectric liquid. Sliding forces are generated on the surface of each film and are combined into a net force at the bundled edges of the sheets. The first type, a pulse-drive induction artificial muscle, which utilizes induced charges on highly resistive films, generated 8 N propulsive force and 0.5 W mechanical power with 110 g its own mass, The second type, ac-drive variable capacitance artificial muscle that weighs 3.6 kg produced huge output, 310 N, 19 W. These actuators will be used in wide range of application fields scaling from micro manipulators to massive mobile robots.