Disclosed is an elastomer composition for an actuator that can be operated by changing only the amount of heat energy. The elastomer composition has an entropy elastic modulus of 3.0 kPa/K or more, and comprises at least one polymer having a glass transition temperature of 25° C. or less and a crystal nucleating agent.

A shape-memory actuator assembly, comprising a shape memory wire element; a first deflection body and a second deflection body, spaced apart from each other, wherein the shape memory wire element is wound around the first deflection body and the second deflection body several times and provides an actuator arrangement located between them. At least one wire holder on the respective deflection body and sections of the shape memory wire element, contacting the wire holder, are embedded in a casting compound.

Disclosed are actuators containing an active layer comprising at least one metal hydroxide, the active layer having a first volume under no stimulation and a second volume either greater than or smaller than the first volume under stimulation; and a passive layer comprising a porous polymer membrane, the passive layer having an elastic modulus at least half of an elastic modulus of the active layer.

The invention relates to a water responsive soft actuator using water responsive hydrogel whose volume hardly changes, and a method for driving the soft actuator. The water responsive soft actuator according to the invention includes polyisopropylacrylamide, and the polyisopropylacrylamide has an N-isopropylacrylamide monomer and water in a weight ratio of 87:13 to 95:5, wherein the water responsive soft actuator is driven by water absorption of the polyisopropylacrylamide.

Methods and a device for the continuous manufacturing of artificial muscle actuator device fibers are disclosed. The method includes: threading an untwisted fiber along the axis of a tube and inside the tube that includes a heating means to raise the localized temperature of a cross-section of the tube to a predetermined temperature; providing a tension on the untwisted fiber; and twisting the untwisted fiber while the fiber is within the tube.

Resistive heating elements are embedded in a shape memory polymer actuator. Sensing elements are associated with the resistive heating elements. The sensing elements sense changes in the resistive heating elements and correlate the changes with deformation of the shape memory polymer actuator.

A nanofiber actuator comprises a composite structure and a vanadium dioxide layer. The composite structure comprises a carbon nanotube wire and an aluminum oxide layer. The aluminum oxide layer is coated on a surface of the carbon nanotube wire, and the aluminum oxide layer and the carbon nanotube wire are located coaxially with each other. The vanadium dioxide layer is coated on a surface of the composite structure, and the vanadium dioxide layer and the composite structure are located non-coaxially with each other.

An actuator fiber is made of a thermoplastic resin and has a coil spring shape. A spring index D/d of 1.7 or more when an average diameter of a coil portion is represented by D and a fiber diameter is represented by d. A glass transition point measured by a differential scanning calorimeter may be 150° C. or lower.

A hinge-type actuator device in accordance with the present disclosure may include a first and second paddle, a first and second artificial muscle actuator segment, and a plurality of contacts, where the first and second artificial muscle actuator segments are actuated via the contacts, actuation of the first artificial muscle actuator segment causes the first and second paddle to open the hinge-type actuator, and actuation of the second artificial muscle actuator segment causes the first and second paddle to dose the hinge-type actuator.

An actuator includes a plurality of artificial muscle fibers and at least one conducting material. The at least one conducting material electrically stimulates the plurality of artificial muscle fibers during activation of the actuator. An actuator device includes at least one artificial muscle fiber and at least one high-strength creep-resistant fiber.