HASEL Artificial Muscles: High Performance Electrostatic Transducers Enabled by the Combination of Flexible Electronics and Liquid Dielectrics
Abstract
While software and sensing capabilities for robotics have advanced rapidly, actuator hardware has remained largely unchanged. However, new approaches to actuation - based on soft and flexible materials - offer inherent advantages over traditional mechanical hardware and are promising to rapidly advance capabilities for future electromechanical systems.
Hydraulically Amplified Self-healing Electrostatic (HASEL) artificial muscles are a revolutionary new type of soft actuator, invented at University of Colorado Boulder and spun-out into the company Artimus Robotics Inc. HASEL (pronounced ‘hazel’) actuators combine thin film polymers, liquid dielectrics, and flexible conductors to achieve muscle-like performance. This technology offers many benefits over existing electromechanical actuators including wide frequency bandwidth (DC to several 100 Hz), high force-to-weight (>1,000 N/kg), high power-to-weight (>300 W/kg), high actuation strain (>50%), and self-sensing. Importantly, these devices are made from more sustainable materials than incumbent actuators technologies. Instead of utilizing metals, magnets, or lead-based ceramics, HASEL actuators make use of thin film polymers, liquids, and carbon-based conductors - all materials with low embodied energy that are amenable to large scale manufacturing techniques.
This talk will provide an overview of the HASEL technology while also highlighting ongoing academic and commercial efforts at CU Boulder and Artimus Robotics Inc, respectively.
FlexTech-supported work performed at CU Boulder - under the direction of Professors Rob MacCurdy and Gregory Whiting - focused on developing a scalable, modular, autonomous, stand-alone soft robotic system based on HASEL actuators. The team integrated efficient soft actuators and flexible electronic control circuits in order to demonstrate a complete, stand-alone, autonomous soft robotic system - the first of its kind. This work paves the way for untethered soft continuum robotic structures that can operate in difficult, particularly hard to access, environments.
On the commercial side, Artimus Robotics Inc. has achieved key milestones to de-risk the HASEL technology for real-world applications. Milestones have included a 50x increase in operating lifetime (1M+ cycles to failure); consistent small-scale fabrication processes with >95% yield; development of full hardware, software, and electronics stack; and doubling of actuator force/stroke performance. Thanks to these improvements, Artimus has been gaining traction in commercial markets. Customer engagements have ranged from direct sales of standard actuator units to development projects for specific applications. Artimus’ customers have spanned many industries including defense, medical, automotive, and consumer electronics.
Compared to software-based innovations, hardware innovations such as the HASEL technology, require extensive development time and interdisciplinary efforts. Strong partnerships across electronics, smart materials, and manufacturing will be critical to realize the full potential of this technology. The talk will close with a discussion of these challenges as well as opportunities for growth and collaboration in the coming years.
Biography
Eric Acome is a co-founder & CEO of Artimus Robotics. He has a background in mechanical engineering and has spent his career designing & developing electromechanical systems. As a co-inventor of the HASEL actuator technology, Eric has authored/co-authored numerous journal papers on the subject and is an inventor on several related patents. He and the Artimus team are passionate about developing the HASEL technology and the future that can be enabled by soft robotics. Artimus Robotics is proud to have delivered actuators and pilot projects to customers across a wide range of industries and around the world. Eric has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech and a MS & PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder.