An actuator is provided, including a plurality of conducting layers and a plurality of electret layers. The electret layers are respectively sandwiched between the conducting layers, and form gaps between the conducting layers. Directions of preset electric fields of the adjacent electret layers are opposite, and the adjacent conducting layers are respectively electrically connected to a first voltage end and a second voltage end to receive a driving voltage.

Hydraulically-amplified, self-healing, electrostatic actuators that harness electrostatic and hydraulic forces to achieve various actuation modes. Electrostatic forces between electrode pairs of the actuators generated upon application of a voltage to the electrode pairs draws the electrodes in each pair towards each other to displace a liquid dielectric contained within an enclosed internal cavity of the actuators to drive actuation in various manners. The electrodes and the liquid dielectric form a self-healing capacitor whereby the liquid dielectric automatically fills breaches in the liquid dielectric resulting from dielectric breakdown.

The invention includes miniature dots, miniature disks or miniature cylinders and methods of making the same by dispersing a particle in or on a dissolvable, meltable or etchable layer on a substrate, a portion of the particle exposed above a surface of the dissolvable, meltable or etchable layer; depositing a mask on the particles and the dissolvable substrate; removing the particles from the layer; etching an array of nanoholes in the substrate; depositing one or more metallic layers into the nanoholes to form an array of dots, disks or cylinders; and dissolving the dissolvable layer with a solvent to expose the dots, disks or cylinders. The dots, disks or cylinders can be included with two sets of microelectrodes for ultrahigh speed rotation of miniature motors, and/or can be designed with a magnetic configuration into miniature motors for uniform rotation speeds and prescribed angular displacement. The invention also includes modified diatom frustules, and miniature motors containing modified diatom frustules.

A capacitive actuator motor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a capacitive actuator having six actuator units and a motor output cam having a periodic shape portion. Each of the six actuator units includes a buckling displacement expansion mechanism configured to convert an output of a piezoelectric element and urge an output joint in a predetermined output direction and a preload adjustment spring configured to urge an output joint with a certain characteristic in a direction in which the periodic shape portion and the output joint come into contact with each other.

There are provided a plurality of first electrode plates in each of which an adhesive is applied on one surface in a first pattern, and a plurality of second electrode plates in each of which the adhesive is applied on one surface in a second pattern which is different from the first pattern, in which the plurality of first electrode plates and the plurality of second electrode plates are alternately stacked without causing the surfaces on which the adhesive is applied to face each other.

A (meth)acrylic conductive material which contains a (meth)acrylic elastomer and a conductive agent, and which is characterized in that: the (meth)acrylic elastomer is obtained by polymerizing a monomer component containing a (meth)acrylic monomer represented by formula (I) ##STR00001##
(wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; and R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group having 1-10 carbon atoms, which may have a hydroxyl group or a halogen atom, or an alkoxyalkyl group having 2-12 carbon atoms, which may have a hydroxyl group); and the (meth)acrylic elastomer has a weight average molecular weight of 1,200,000 to 10,000,000 and a molecular weight distribution (weight average molecular weight/number average molecular weight) of 1-6.

A driver for a circuit with a capacitive load is configured for coupling to a voltage source which provides a DC input voltage, and is configured to generate an output voltage at an output. The driver includes a bidirectional synchronous power converter with a first switch, a second switch, and an inductive device connected to the first and/or second switch. A controller is configured to control the first switch and the second switch. The bidirectional synchronous power converter generates a switching voltage from the input voltage at a switching node and generates the output voltage having an analog voltage waveform with a peak amplitude of at least twice the input voltage. The bidirectional synchronous power converter includes a boost-buck converter configured to generate the analog voltage waveform from the input voltage by transferring increments of energy to the capacitive load in a forward-boost mode and from the load in a reverse-buck mode.

A repulsive-force electrostatic actuator includes a first actuator layer including a first substrate, a first electrode pattern, and a second electrode pattern. The actuator includes a second actuator layer spaced apart from the first actuator layer that includes a second substrate, a third electrode pattern, and a fourth electrode pattern. The actuator includes a voltage source connected to the first, second, third, and fourth electrode patterns such that the first electrode pattern is at an opposite voltage relative to the second, the third electrode pattern is at an opposite voltage relative to the fourth, and the first and second actuator layers are arranged to have a repulsive electrostatic force therebetween. The actuator further includes an actuator frame connected to the first and second actuator layers such that at least a portion of at least one of the first and second actuator layers is movable due to an applied voltage to effect motion to an object.

A repulsive-attractive-force electrostatic actuator according to some embodiments of the invention includes a first actuator layer including a first substrate, a first electrode pattern, and a second electrode pattern. The actuator further includes a second actuator layer including a second substrate, a third electrode pattern, and a fourth electrode pattern. The actuator further includes a first voltage source connected to the first and second electrode patterns such that the first electrode pattern is at a relative voltage of V1 to the second electrode pattern, and a second voltage source connected to the third and fourth electrode patterns such that the third electrode pattern is at a relative voltage of V2 to the fourth electrode pattern. The applied relative voltages V1 and V2 are selectable to provide one of a selected repulsive force or a selected attractive force between the first and second actuator layers.

An electrostatic machine employs a high dielectric fluid comprised of a dielectric liquid with suspended dielectric particles. Electrorheological effects are minimized through small particle sizes and steric coatings on those particles limiting the minimum particle-to-particle distance. Low particle volume densities provide greater torque density with managed reduced viscosity.