Flexible Electronics for Driving Soft Robotic Systems

This presentation will describe progress in the development and integration of flexible control electronics with efficient muscle-like actuators with the intention of creating novel, untethered, soft robotic devices. The actuators used are hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic (HASEL) devices, which harness an electro-hydraulic mechanism to drive a shape change in a soft structure by directly applying electrostatic forces to an insulating hydraulic fluid. These HASEL devices allow for electronic actuation and are capable of matching or exceeding the performance of natural muscle across important performance metrics such as efficiency, specific power, strain, and lifetime. Typically, these actuators are driven by rigid electronic systems, potentially limiting their application where more complete mechanical compliance is desired, or where untethered operation is needed. In order to address these issues, we have developed both flexible hybrid as well as amorphous silicon based thin-film driver electronics which can operate above 1 kV for controlling these soft actuators. Through co-design of both the HASELs and flexible addressing electronics, electromechanical integration can be optimized, and complete soft robotic systems are possible, including for general motion and manipulation as well as for elemental units of modular robotic systems.