Ricerc@Sapienza

The present application deals with the development on an innovative soft hybrid actuator, combining two different technologies: (i) hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic (HASEL) and (ii) Electrorheological Fluids-based- (ERFs) actuators. Such novel actuators are predicted to be able to overcome the limitations of conventional Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs), such as the elevated activation voltage (in the kV range), which makes the latter still unsuitable for applications involving interfacing with humans, and the inability to sustain heavy loads, along with a limited maximum strain range. All the shortcoming will be addressed by combining the advantages of two cutting edge technologies, whose synergistic operation is still unexplored in the scientific community. Starting from the latest development of HASEL actuators, the proposed approach involves the employment of two different types of sealed pouches, filled with dielectric liquids and a Giant Electrorheological Fluid (GER), respectively. The first pouch type will be realized starting from inexpensive and commercially available heat sealable Biaxially Oriented Polypropilene (BOPP) sheets and suitable geometries will be created by using the ¿hot end¿ of a commercial 3D printer. The GER-filled pouch-type will be employed to sustain the "heavy loads" and provide a strain-enhancement mechanism, by properly designing "stiffening sleeves", taking advantage of the liquid-solid transition of the electrorheological fluid upon application of a suitable electric field.