SBIR Phase II: A study of the electromechanical failure modes in hydraulically amplified aelf-healing electrostatic (HASEL) actuators

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过了解高压静电场对复合电介质的影响、将实验材料转化为坚固耐用的高性能HASEL(液压放大自愈式静电)致动器，以及更广泛地了解HASEL致动技术在实际应用中的影响而获得的新型科学知识。这些知识有助于许多高度交叉的科学领域，从静电学、材料科学、机械工程、计算机科学和电气工程。HASEL执行器在该项目中取得的进步可能会对商业、研究、教育和国防部门产生广泛影响。这些执行器可能是包括自动化、汽车、医疗设备、机器人和国防应用在内的各种行业的使能部件。HASEL执行器的主要特点包括：模拟运动、机械顺应性、高速、高应变、静音操作、定制化和自感知。通过推进执行器技术，行业可能会采用机器人技术，从而加强这些行业的经济竞争优势。该团队将继续利用学术合作伙伴关系，为培养一支高能力的科学家和工程师技术队伍做出贡献。这个小企业创新研究第二阶段项目旨在提高HASEL(液压放大自愈式静电)执行器的性能。HASEL执行器利用静电力在柔软的水力结构中驱动形状变化，提供各种肌肉状的驱动模式和自我感知其变形状态的能力。HASEL执行器解决了现有软执行器技术中的关键问题。例如，软气动执行器必须连接到阀门和泵系统以实现高性能执行，而HASEL执行器是电子控制的，可以使用电池供电的便携式电源进行操作。该团队将开发和验证方法，以提高HASEL执行器的性能和易用性。这些技术的进步将通过材料优化、工艺改进以及对高静电场下的固液复合介质结构有更基本的了解来实现。性能改进将应用于非常适合工业、消费、国防和实验应用的执行器。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is the novel scientific knowledge gained by understanding the effects of high electrostatic fields on composite dielectrics, the translation of experimental materials to robust and high performance HASEL (Hydraulically Amplified Self-healing ELectrostatic) actuators, and, more generally, the impact of HASEL actuation technology within real-world applications. This knowledge contributes to many highly interdisciplinary fields of science, ranging from electrostatics, materials science, mechanical engineering, computer science, and electrical engineering. The advancements of HASEL actuators achieved during this project may have broad impacts on commercial, research, education, and defense sectors. These actuators may be an enabling component for a variety of industries including automation, automotive, medical devices, robotics, and defense applications. Key features of HASEL actuators include: analog motion, mechanical compliance, high speed, high strain, silent operation, customization, and self-sensing. By bringing forward actuator technologies, industries may adopt robotic technologies, strengthening the economic competitive advantage of these industries. The team will continue to leverage academic partnerships to contribute to and train a highly capable technical workforce of scientists and engineers.This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project seeks to advance the performance of HASEL (Hydraulically Amplified Self-healing ELectrostatic) actuators. HASEL actuators harness electrostatic forces to drive shape-change in a soft hydraulic structure, providing a variety of muscle-like actuation modes and the ability to self-sense their deformation state. HASEL actuators address critical problems in existing soft actuator technologies. For example, soft pneumatic actuators must be tethered to a system of valves and pumps for high performance actuation, whereas HASEL actuators are electrically controlled and can be operated with battery-powered portable power supplies. The team will develop and validate approaches to advance the performance and ease of use of HASEL actuators. These advances of the technology will be realized through material optimization, fabrication improvements, and a more fundamental understanding of solid-liquid composite dielectric structures under high electrostatic fields. Performance improvements will be applied to actuators well-suited for industrial, consumer, defense, and experimental applications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.