A hybrid actuation device that includes a first plate coupled to a second plate, a shape memory alloy wire coupled to the first plate, and an artificial muscle stack positioned between the first plate and the second plate. The artificial muscle stack includes a plurality of artificial muscles stacked in a vertical arrangement. Each artificial muscle includes a housing having an electrode region and an expandable fluid region, a first electrode and a second electrode each disposed in the electrode region of the housing and a dielectric fluid disposed within the housing. The expandable fluid region of the housing is positioned apart from a perimeter of the first plate and the second plate.

Actuators (artificial muscles) comprising twist-spun nanofiber yarn or twist-inserted polymer fibers generate torsional and/or tensile actuation when powered electrically, photonically, chemically, thermally, by absorption, or by other means. These artificial muscles utilize non-coiled or coiled yarns and can be either neat or comprising a guest. Devices comprising these artificial muscles are also described.

A method of imparting motion includes contracting a portion of a magnetic shape memory (MSM) element in response to a magnetic field to form an indentation on a surface of the MSM element. The method further includes retaining a protrusion from a surface of a movable part at the indentation. The method also includes moving the movable part by changing a position of the indentation in response to a change in the magnetic field.

An artificial muscle includes an electrode pair including a first electrode and a second electrode. One or both of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a central opening. The first electrode and the second electrode each include two or more fan portions and two or more bridge portions. Each fan portion includes a first end having an inner length, a second end having an outer length, a first side edge extending from the second end, and a second side edge extending from the second end. The outer length is greater than the inner length. Each bridge portion interconnecting adjacent fan portions at the first end.

Described hereafter is a device for the conversion of electromagnetic momentum into mechanical momentum to be used in airless environment. The device is built from rotating disk, made of non-magnetic material, on the circumference of which plurality of bar magnets are mounted. The bar magnets are in a plane which is perpendicular to the plane of the disk and in a plane, which is perpendicular to the radius of the disk that meets the centre of the bar magnet. The disk is driven by a motor that causes it to rotate. The magnets are positioned in an angle relative to the rotation axis of the disk. When the disk rotates, mechanical momentum, perpendicular to the plane of the rotating disk is generated. This momentum acts on the disk and causes it to move along the axis of rotation of the disk.

The invention relates to an electromagnetic toroidal impeller in the field of physics applied to electromagnetism. The invention comprises a cylindrical arrangement of superconducting antennas (9) which are separated by a dielectric (8) over a superconducting cylindrical plate (7) and exposed in a resonant cavity (6). The radiation in the cavity is incident on the force ring having a superconducting surface (4) containing ferrite (11), the coolant (5) introduced through the pipes (1) flowing through the toroidal interior of same. The force received in the ring (4) is transmitted via the supporting members (3) to the support (2). The cavity is thermally insulated with insulation (12) and is cooled with the liquid (10) through the pipes (14). The invention provides a device capable of generating driving force from the conversion of the energy available in electromagnetic waves that are contained in a resonant cavity.

An electrode pair is provided including a first electrode and a second electrode. Each of the first electrode and the second electrode have an outer surface, an inner surface, a first end, a second end, and a lead extending outwardly from the first end. The lead has a first width at the first end. The second end of at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode have a recess formed therein having a first terminus and a second terminus. A second width extends between the first terminus and the second terminus of the recess. The recess is defined by a saw-tooth pattern. When the first electrode is positioned on the second electrode, the recess of the at least one of the first electrode is adjacent the lead of the other electrode.

A space launch system and method through electromagnetic pushing. The space launch system comprises an energy storage subsystem, an energy conversion subsystem, a linear motor subsystem, and a control maintenance subsystem. The space launch system converts the electric energy into an electromagnetic force. Through the electromagnetic force, a rocket is pushed to be accelerated to a certain speed along an electromagnetic launching track to realize the launching of the rocket.

There is disclosed a microscale or nanoscale stepper motor in which one or more arrays of corresponding types of optically switchable molecular actuators are used to drive progressive motion between bodies of the motor.

Actuators (artificial muscles) comprising twist-spun nanofiber yarn or twist-inserted polymer fibers generate actuation when powered electrically, photonically, chemically, thermally, by absorption, or by other means. These artificial muscles utilize polymer fibers non-coiled or coiled yarns and can be either neat or comprising a guest. Devices comprising these artificial muscles are also described. In some embodiments, thermally-powered polymer fiber torsional actuator has a twisted, chain-oriented polymer fiber that has a first degree of twist at a first temperature and a second degree of twist at a second temperature in which the bias angles of the first degree and second degree of twist are substantially different.