An artificial muscle device includes a plurality of intermuscular boards and a plurality of artificial muscles disposed between the intermuscular boards in an alternating pattern and communicatively coupled to a controller. Each of the one or more artificial muscles includes a housing comprising an electrode region and an expandable fluid region, a dielectric fluid housed within the housing, and an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair including a first electrode and a second electrode. The electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region, expanding the expandable fluid region, thereby applying pressure to the intermuscular boards.

An artificial muscle that includes a housing having an electrode region and an expandable fluid region and an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region, the electrode pair having a first electrode fixed to a first surface of the housing and a second electrode fixed to a second surface of the housing. The first and second electrodes each have two or more tab portions and two or more bridge portions. Each of the two or more bridge portions interconnects adjacent tab portions and at least one of the first and second electrodes includes a central opening positioned between the two or more tab portions and encircling the expandable fluid region. A dielectric fluid is housed within the housing and the electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated to actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region.

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.

An artificial muscle includes a housing including an electrode region and an expandable fluid region; an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair comprising a first electrode positioned adjacent a first surface of the housing and a second electrode positioned adjacent a second surface of the housing, the first electrode and the second electrode each having a first end proximate the expandable fluid region and a second end opposite the expandable fluid region; a dielectric fluid housed within the housing; and a clamping device applying a force against the first electrode and the second electrode at the second end of the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region.

An anode current collector of an electrochemical compressor includes a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions that are alternately arranged from the first end portion toward an inner side in a plane direction of the anode current collector. In the first portion, a first porous body, a second porous body, and a third porous body are sequentially stacked. In the second portion, the first portion, the third porous body, and the second porous body are sequentially stacked. The porosity of the second porous body is larger than the porosity of the first porous body and the porosity of the third porous body is larger than the porosity of the second porous body.

Electrochemical actuators including a sealed electrolytic chamber with two or more electrodes disposed therein and associated reservoirs are described. In some embodiments, the electrochemical actuators include one or more rigid structures that are overmolded onto one or more electrodes to form the electrolytic chambers. In some embodiments, multiple rigid structures that are overmolded onto two or separate electrodes may be connected to form one or more electrolytic chambers with a desired configuration of electrodes contained therein. Manufacturing methods and structures related to the formation of an array of electrochemical actuators are also described.

An artificial muscle includes a housing including an electrode region and an expandable fluid region; an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair comprising a first electrode positioned adjacent a first surface of the housing and a second electrode positioned adjacent a second surface of the housing, the first electrode and the second electrode each having a first end proximate the expandable fluid region and a second end opposite the expandable fluid region; a dielectric fluid housed within the housing; and a clamping device applying a force against the first electrode and the second electrode at the second end of the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region.

Disclosed are devices, systems, and methods for fabrication of moving, actuatable structures at micron scales that can be electronically controlled using low power and low voltages. Also disclosed are microscale robots having such microscale actuator structures to actuate the robots’ movements as well as devices, systems, and methods for fabrication of microscale robots. The disclosed methods of fabrication are compatible with standard semiconductor technologies.

An artificial muscle that includes a housing having an electrode region and an expandable fluid region and an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region, the electrode pair having a first electrode fixed to a first surface of the housing and a second electrode fixed to a second surface of the housing. The first and second electrodes each have two or more tab portions and two or more bridge portions. Each of the two or more bridge portions interconnects adjacent tab portions and at least one of the first and second electrodes includes a central opening positioned between the two or more tab portions and encircling the expandable fluid region. A dielectric fluid is housed within the housing and the electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated to actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region.

An artificial muscle device includes a plurality of intermuscular boards and a plurality of artificial muscles disposed between the intermuscular boards in an alternating pattern and communicatively coupled to a controller. Each of the one or more artificial muscles includes a housing comprising an electrode region and an expandable fluid region, a dielectric fluid housed within the housing, and an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair including a first electrode and a second electrode. The electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region, expanding the expandable fluid region, thereby applying pressure to the intermuscular boards.