A MEMS actuator includes a main body having a central portion, couplable to a substrate, and a peripheral portion suspended over the substrate when the central portion is coupled to the substrate. The peripheral portion has a deformable structure extending around the central portion, and forming successively arranged membranes. The MEMS actuator includes bearing structures and corresponding piezoelectric actuators. The bearing structures are fixed at their top to the deformable structure and laterally delimit corresponding cavities, each having a lateral opening facing the central portion of the main body and closed at the top by a membrane. A fixed part of the membrane is fixed to the underlying bearing structure and a suspended part is laterally offset with respect to the underlying bearing structure. The piezoelectric actuators are controllable to cause deformation of the corresponding membrane and rotation of the bearing structures around the central portion of the main body.

A first power supply member and a second power supply member are arranged on the same side of a first member in a thickness direction of an actuator. The first power supply member includes a first external connection terminal. The second power supply member includes a second external connection terminal. The first external connection terminal and the second external connection terminal are arranged on the same positions in the thickness direction. A second insulating layer is arranged between the second power supply member and a frame body. A far end side portion on an opposite side to a side, on which the first external connection terminal protrudes, in the first power supply member is bent toward the frame body to be electrically connected with the frame body.

An apparatus includes a substrate, a dielectric elastomer transducer electrically coupled to the substrate, and a compliant electrically conductive housing coupled to the dielectric elastomer transducer. A portion of the compliant electrically conductive housing projects through an opening defined in a housing. A method is disclosed for making the apparatus.

A dielectric elastomer transducer comprising a first and second ends and first and second electrical terminals connected to the respective first and second ends of the dielectric elastomer transducer is provided. A system also includes a substrate, a conductive flexure with one end attached to the substrate and another end configured to receive a load. A first electrical connector pin is attached to the flexure to receive the first electrical terminal and a second electrical connector pin is attached to the substrate to receive the second electrical terminal. Another system also includes a living hinge flexibly coupling two separate substrates, where at least one of the substrates is movable in response to energizing the dielectric elastomer transducer.

An acoustic wave sensor may include: a continuous membrane deflectable by acoustic waves to be detected, and a piezoelectric layer provided on the membrane and including a plurality of piezoelectric layer portions respectively equipped with at least two individual electric contact structures configured to electrically connect the respective piezoelectric layer portions. Electric contact structures associated with different piezoelectric layer portions may be separated from each other.

Some embodiments relate to compositions for active compression devices and related methods. In some embodiments, a composition for an active compression device comprises an electro-active polymer film. In some embodiments, the electro-active polymer film comprises at least one polymer and at least one additive.

A composition includes a polyrotaxane (A) which includes cyclodextrin as a ring molecule and polyethylene glycol as a linear molecule, and in which a blocking group is arranged at both ends of the linear molecule; a block copolymer (B) including polysiloxane; and a polymer (C) including no polysiloxane.

An actuator device and a method for manufacturing the actuator device, which is formed by stacking and rolling films of electrostrictive material into a cylindrical body and can ensure electrical connection with inner electrodes at both end portions of the cylindrical body. The actuator device is formed by stacking and rolling two films of electrostrictive material into a cylindrical body, the two films each having an inner electrode on one or both surfaces thereof. The cylindrical body has at least one cut portion at each end portion thereof, the cut portion being configured to reach the inner electrode (electrode pattern). By applying conductive ink to each of the cut portions, the conductive ink flows through the cut portions and reaches the inner electrodes on the films. By heat-hardening the conductive ink, it is possible to ensure electrical connection between outer and inner electrodes.

Peristaltic pump, intended to pump a liquid along a capillary (2), the pumping resulting from a stress exerted on the capillary, successively along a pumping direction, the pump comprising: K annular piezoelectric transducers (11.sub.k), extending about a central axis (), K resonators (10.sub.k), formed from a deformable solid material, each resonator being connected to a piezoelectric transducer, and extending about the central axis, becoming thinner towards the central axis, each resonator being configured to deform under the effect of the polarization of the piezoelectric transducer to which it is connected; a control unit (20), configured to polarize each piezoelectric transducer; the pump being characterized in that: each resonator is connected to a sleeve (3.sub.K), extending about the central axis; each resonator is arranged so that the sleeves of each resonator are aligned along a central axis.

A sensor (1) which consists of a first electrode (3a), a ferroelectric layer (2) and a second electrode (3b) is described. The second electrode (3b) is connected to ground and the ferroelectric layer (2) is arranged between the first and second electrodes (3a, 3b).