Lattice structure with piezoelectric behavior, a force or movement sensor and an actuator containing said lattice structure

A movement sensor, comprising a lattice structure comprising a periodic succession of unitary cells wherein:

• each unitary cell is made of a first material, which is a dielectric non-piezoelectric material comprising flexoelectric properties and is configured to be bending or torsion dominated, each unitary cell comprising structural connectors, of nanometric to micrometric thickness, the structural connectors being connected to each other through nodes defining a non-centrosymmetric shape comprising a topological constraint that is configured to induce torsion or bending of the structural connectors and to produce an electric gradient on the structural connectors by a flexoelectric effect that is accumulated and conducted without cancellation through the unitary cell, the unitary cells being connected to each other at least in series and defining, within the lattice structure, a continuous electric potential accumulation path defined between two opposite ends of the lattice structure provided with electric connections, and
• the unitary cells being arranged within the lattice structure in a non-centrosymmetric disposition and configured to accumulate and conduct without cancellation the electric gradient generated on each unitary cell through the lattice structure to the two opposite ends, the lattice structure being structurally connected to two independent elements and disposed in independent movable relation to one another, and the lattice structure having the two opposite ends connected to an electric circuit comprising an electric potential sensor.

An actuator comprising a lattice structure comprising a periodic succession of unitary cells wherein:

• each unitary cell is made of a first material, which is a dielectric non-piezoelectric material comprising flexoelectric properties and is configured to be bending or torsion dominated, each unitary cell comprising structural connectors of nanometric to micrometric thickness, the structural connectors being connected to each other through nodes defining a non-centrosymmetric shape comprising a topological constraint that is configured to induce torsion or bending of the structural connectors and to produce an electric gradient on the structural connectors by a flexoelectric effect that is accumulated and conducted without cancellation through the unitary cell,
• the unitary cells being connected to each other at least in series and configured to define, within the lattice structure, a continuous electric potential accumulation path defined between two opposite ends of the lattice structure provided with electric connections, and the unitary cells being arranged within the lattice structure in a non-centrosymmetric disposition and configured to accumulate and conduct without cancellation the electric gradient generated on each unitary cell through the lattice structure to the two opposite ends, the lattice structure being structurally connected to two independent elements and disposed in independent movable relation to one another, and the lattice structure having the two opposite ends connected to an electric circuit comprising an electric source.