Microfluidic-Based Artificial Muscles and Method of Formation

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USPN 11635064.pdf (1.6 MB)
Authors
Kartalov, Emil P.
Scherer, Axel
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Date of Issue
2023-04-25
Date
Publisher
The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US)
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Abstract
Artificial muscles comprising a body of dielectric elastomer, wherein the body contains a pair of microfluidic networks are presented. Each microfluidic network includes a plurality of channels fluidically coupled via a manifold. The channels of the microfluidic networks are interdigitated and filled with conductive fluid such that each set of adjacent channels functions as the electrodes of an electroactive polymer (EAP) actuator. By using the manifolds as compliant wiring to energize the electrodes, artificial muscles in accordance with the present disclosure mitigate some or all of the reliability problems associated with prior-art artificial muscles.
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Patent
Description
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/10945/72297
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US 11,635,064 B1
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19 p.
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
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