Hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic actuators

A method of using an electro-hydraulic actuator, comprising applying a voltage to one of a first and a second electrode of the actuator to generate an electrostatic force between the first and second electrodes;

• drawing the first and second electrodes towards each other using the electrostatic force;
• displacing, during the drawing, a liquid dielectric contained within a flexible shell and disposed between the first and second electrodes;
• and
• flexing a portion of the flexible shell with the displaced liquid dielectric,
• wherein a surface area of the flexible shell over which the first and second electrodes are disposed comprises an active area of the flexible shell, wherein a surface area of the flexible shell over which the first and second electrodes are not disposed comprises an inactive area of the flexible shell, and wherein the displacing includes:
• displacing the liquid dielectric from the active area of the shell to the inactive area of the shell,
• wherein the first and second electrodes comprise a first pair of electrodes,
• wherein one or more additional pairs of electrodes are disposed over additional active areas of the flexible shell and
• wherein each adjacent pair of the active areas is spaced by an inactive area, and
• wherein the displacing includes;
• displacing the liquid dielectric from the active areas to the inactive areas;
• and
• drawing the electrodes in each adjacent pair of electrodes towards each other in response to the liquid dielectric being displaced from the active areas to the inactive areas.

An electro-hydraulic actuator, comprising:

• a deformable shell that defines an enclosed internal cavity;
• a liquid dielectric contained within the enclosed internal cavity;
• a first electrode disposed over a first side of the enclosed internal cavity;
• and
• a second electrode disposed over a second side of the enclosed internal cavity,
• wherein the first and second electrodes are configured such that an electrostatic force
• between the first and second electrodes upon application of a voltage to one of the first and second electrodes draws the first and second electrodes towards each other to displace the liquid dielectric within the enclosed internal cavity,
• wherein a first portion of the deformable shell on the first side of the internal cavity comprises a first stiffness,
• wherein a second portion of the deformable shell on the second side of the internal cavity comprises a second stiffness, and
• wherein the first stiffness is greater than the second stiffness.

A method of using an electro-hydraulic actuator, comprising:

• applying a voltage to one of a first and a second electrode of the actuator to generate an electrostatic force between the first and second electrodes;
• drawing the first and second electrodes towards each other using the electrostatic force;
• displacing, during the drawing, a liquid dielectric contained within a flexible shell and disposed between the first and second electrodes,
• flexing a portion of the flexible shell with the displaced liquid dielectric;
• measuring a first capacitance of one of the first and second electrodes before the applying;
• measuring a second capacitance of the one of the first and second electrodes after the applying, and
• using a difference between the first and second capacitances to determine a strain of the one of the first and second electrodes relative to the other of first and second electrodes during the displacing.