Artificial muscle assemblies including a central artificial muscle and a plurality of initiating actuators

An artificial muscle system comprising:

• a plurality of initiating actuators;
• an artificial muscle comprising:
• a housing comprising an electrode region and an expandable fluid region;
• and
• an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair comprising a first electrode provided at a first surface of the housing and a second electrode provided at a second surface of the housing;
• a first power supply configured to provide power to each initiating actuator;
• a second power supply configured to provide power to the artificial muscle;
• and
• a controller configured to operate the first power supply to provide power to each initiating actuator prior to operating the second power supply to provide power to the artificial muscle,
• wherein each initiating actuator of the plurality of initiating actuators is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state applies a force against the electrode region of the artificial muscle.

An artificial muscle comprising:

• a housing comprising an electrode region and an expandable fluid region;
• an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair comprising a first electrode fixed to a first surface of the housing and a second electrode fixed to a second surface of the housing;
• a first electrical insulator layer provided at an inner surface of the first electrode opposite the first surface of the housing, the first electrical insulator layer having a dielectric constant between 7 and 20;
• and
• a dielectric fluid housed within the housing, the dielectric fluid having a dielectric constant between 0.5 and 15,
• wherein 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.