A method of manufacturing an electrode assembly includes positioning a layer stack comprising an electrode positioned between an electrode insulator and a support polymer in a vacuum bag, removing air from the vacuum bag thereby vacuum coupling the electrode to the electrode insulator, and removing the layer stack from the vacuum bag, where upon removal of the layer stack from the vacuum bag, the electrode remains vacuum coupled to the electrode insulator and the electrode insulator is in direct contact with the electrode, thereby forming an electrode assembly.

A hydraulic actuator device for a hydraulic system filled with an electrically conductive medium, the hydraulic actuator device being situatable or being situated on and/or in the hydraulic system, and including at least one actuator module, which in each case is designed in such a way that at least a portion of the electrically conductive medium is acceleratable into at least one partial volume of the hydraulic system due to its interaction with an electrical current flow generated with the aid of the respective actuator module and/or with a magnetic field created with the aid of the respective actuator module, as a result of which a pressure build-up is creatable in the at least one partial volume of the hydraulic system.

A variable mold includes a plurality of hydraulic pin systems. Each pin system includes a valve in fluid communication with a supply of pressurized fluid, a tubing in fluid communication with the valve, and a pin coupled to the tubing. The pin is configured to extend from the tubing in response to the supply of the fluid through the valve to the tubing. A longitudinal axis of each pin is mutually parallel and arranged in a two-dimensional array. The variable mold includes a controller operably coupled to the valves that can control the displacement of each pin. The variable mold may include a pin displacement detector configured to detect a displacement of each pin. The pin displacement detector is operably coupled to the controller. The controller can close each valve in response to the pin displacement detector detecting that the pin corresponding to the valve extends a predetermined distance.

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.

A pressure pin of a press, in particular a forming press, for transferring a force to a tool component of the press includes a pin body, a sensor element arranged in the pin body for measuring a force which can be transferred via the pressure pin, and an actuator unit arranged in the pin body which has a functional body made of an adaptive material. The adaptive material is designed such that the rheological properties thereof and/or the length thereof and/or the volume thereof can be selectively modified as a function of an electrical and/or magnetic field.

A dynamic interface between a vehicle windshield and a structure (e.g., an A-pillar) is provided. The dynamic interface can be actively managed to allow its configuration to be selectively changed based on real-time driving environment conditions. The interface can include one or more actuators that can be selectively activated or deactivated to change the aerodynamic characteristics of the interface. When a crosswind activation condition is detected, the actuator(s) can be activated. The actuator(s) can be soft-bodied structures. The actuator(s) can include a bladder defining a fluid chamber filled with a dielectric fluid. A first conductor and a second conductor can be operatively positioned on opposite portions of the bladder. When electrical energy is supplied to the conductors, they can become oppositely charged. As a result, the conductors can be electrostatically attracted toward each other, displacing some of the dielectric fluid to an outer peripheral region of the fluid chamber.

High strain hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic transducers having increased maximum theoretical and practical strains are disclosed. In particular, the actuators include electrode configurations having a zipping front created by the attraction of the electrodes that is configured orthogonally to a strain axis along which the actuators. This configuration produces increased strains. In turn, various form factors for the actuator configuration are presented including an artificial circular muscle and a strain amplifying pulley system. Other actuator configurations are contemplated that include independent and opposed electrode pairs to create cyclic activation, hybrid electrode configurations, and use of strain limiting layers for controlled deflection of the actuator.

Artificial muscles comprising a body of dielectric elastomer, wherein the body contains a pair of microfluidic networks are presented. Each microfluidic network includes a plurality of channels fluidically coupled via a manifold. The channels of the microfluidic networks are interdigitated and filled with conductive fluid such that each set of adjacent channels functions as the electrodes of an electroactive polymer (EAP) actuator. By using the manifolds as compliant wiring to energize the electrodes, artificial muscles in accordance with the present disclosure mitigate some or all of the reliability problems associated with prior-art artificial muscles.

A method of manufacturing an electrode assembly includes positioning a layer stack comprising an electrode positioned between an electrode insulator and a support polymer in a vacuum bag, removing air from the vacuum bag thereby vacuum coupling the electrode to the electrode insulator, and removing the layer stack from the vacuum bag, where upon removal of the layer stack from the vacuum bag, the electrode remains vacuum coupled to the electrode insulator and the electrode insulator is in direct contact with the electrode, thereby forming an electrode assembly.

The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling deformation of a flexible screen, configured to control the deformation of the flexible screen, the flexible screen including: a flexible screen body, a metal layer attached to a back surface of the flexible screen body, and a current controlled deformation layer coated on the metal layer; the flexible screen further including a power supply circuit, and a current regulation circuit through which the power supply circuit is coupled to the metal layer; and the method including: controlling intensity of current flowing in the metal layer to soften the current controlled deformation layer; making the flexible screen form a desired shape by means of bending or folding; and controlling intensity of current flowing through the metal layer to harden the current controlled deformation layer. In addition, a system for controlling deformation of a flexible screen is also provided. The above method and system for controlling deformation of a flexible screen can control the flexible screen to be deformed to have a desired shape.