Electro-Lattice Actuator: a compliant high-contractile active lattice structure

Electro-ribbon actuators are high-performance electrically-driven artificial muscles with high flexibility, low mass, power consumption, contraction, and force-to-weight ratio. They show great promise for driving the deployment of compact folding structures. This article presents electro-lattice actuator (ELA), a compliant, three-dimensional, free-standing lattice structure that uses this phenomenon to contract flat sheet upon application potential difference. The ELA was designed in form multiple interconnected buckled structures fabricated using polyvinyl chloride sheets tape copper electrodes. pre-set into an open-cell configuration by annealing oven. Isometric testing at varying compressions showed tensile stress proposed reaches maximum 184 Pa (a 472 change compared its unactuated state). A cuboid shaped (13.6 cm length × 10.0 width 5.4 height) achieved contraction 92.6% rate 35.6% s−1. novel opens up use electro-ribbon actuation more complex effective 3D actuating deploying