Electrical system for electrostrictive bimorph actuator

A method for actuating electrostrictive materials, the method comprising:

• providing a first electrode;
• providing a second electrode;
• providing a first electrostrictive material having a first length and configured to change length in response to an applied electrical field, the first electrostrictive material being positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode;
• providing a third electrode;
• providing a second electrostrictive material having a second length and configured to change length in response to an applied electrical field, the second electrostrictive material being positioned between the second electrode and the third electrode;
• attaching the second electrostrictive material and the first electrostrictive material to each other such that a differential change in the first length and the second length results in a lateral motion;
• applying a first voltage arranged to provide a voltage differential between the first electrode and the third electrode, one of the first electrode and the third electrode being a ground, the voltage differential causing lengths of the first electrostrictive material and the second electrostrictive material to change from the first length and the second length to a third length and a fourth length, respectively, that are shorter than the first length and the second length, respectively;
• and
• applying a second voltage, arranged to provide a biased variable voltage to the second electrode, the variable voltage causing length of the first electrostrictive material to change from the third length towards a fifth length that is shorter than the third length when the length of second electrostrictive material changes from the fourth length towards the second length, the variable voltage further causing the length of the first electrostrictive material to change from the third length toward the first length when the length of the second electrostrictive material changes from the fourth length towards a sixth length that is shorter than the fourth length, the changing of the lengths of the first and second electrostrictive materials occurring simultaneously.