A programmable texture surface including one or more artificial muscles is provided. Each artificial muscle includes a housing having a first wall opposite a second wall and an electrode region adjacent an expandable fluid region. One or both of the first wall and the second wall include an interior tapered portion within the electrode region. A dielectric fluid is housed within the housing and an electrode pair is housed within the electrode region of the housing. The electrode pair includes a first electrode coupled to the first wall and a second electrode coupled to the second wall, such that at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is coupled to the interior tapered portion. 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 herein is a programmable surface object, in accordance with some embodiments. Accordingly, the programmable surface object may include a structure and a plurality of variable compressibility elements. Further, the plurality of variable compressibility elements may be configured for allowing compressing of the structure to one of a plurality of compression levels corresponding to one of a plurality of energy stimuli received by the plurality of variable compressibility elements, wherein the compressing of the structure allows deforming of the programmable surface object to one of a plurality of deforming degrees.

A programmable texture surface including one or more artificial muscles is provided. Each artificial muscle includes a housing having a first wall opposite a second wall and an electrode region adjacent an expandable fluid region. One or both of the first wall and the second wall include an interior tapered portion within the electrode region. A dielectric fluid is housed within the housing and an electrode pair is housed within the electrode region of the housing. The electrode pair includes a first electrode coupled to the first wall and a second electrode coupled to the second wall, such that at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is coupled to the interior tapered portion. 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.