Electrical engineering

Physics

Control engineering

Nanotechnology

Transducer

Engineering

Actuator

Artificial intelligence

Soft robotics

Materials science

Artificial muscle

Computer science

Quantum mechanics

Mechanism (biology)

Soft materials

Robotics

Mechanical engineering

Robot

Science

Existing soft actuators have persistent challenges that restrain the potential of soft robotics, highlighting a need for soft transducers that are powerful, high-speed, efficient, and robust. We describe a class of soft actuators, termed hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic (HASEL) actuators, which harness a mechanism that couples electrostatic and hydraulic forces to achieve a variety of actuation modes. We introduce prototypical designs of HASEL actuators and demonstrate their robust, muscle-like performance as well as their ability to repeatedly self-heal after dielectric breakdown-all using widely available materials and common fabrication techniques. A soft gripper handling delicate objects and a self-sensing artificial muscle powering a robotic arm illustrate the wide potential of HASEL actuators for next-generation soft robotic devices.

Hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic actuators with muscle-like performance