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Published on: April 25, 2020
Artificial Muscles: Electrostatic Actuation and Design Tradeoffs
Gabriel X Colborn1, Justin Pilgrim1, Ka Ho1
1Physics Department, Naval Postgraduate School, 1 University Circle, Monterey, CA 93943, USA.
Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 25, 2026
Summary
This review classifies artificial muscle technologies, focusing on electrostatic actuators. It details their principles, materials, and performance, highlighting challenges and future research for practical deployment in soft robotics and beyond.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Robotics
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Artificial muscles mimic biological muscle behavior for applications like soft robotics and prosthetics.
- Various actuation mechanisms exist, each with unique performance trade-offs.
- Electrostatic actuators offer fast response, high energy density, and material compatibility, but face challenges like dielectric breakdown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a structured classification of artificial muscle technologies.
- To conduct an in-depth examination of electrostatic actuators.
- To outline future research directions for advancing electrostatic artificial muscles.
Main Methods:
- Review and classification of artificial muscle technologies.
- In-depth analysis of electrostatic actuators, including operating principles, materials, architectures, and performance.
- Comparative analysis of different actuator families based on key metrics.
Main Results:
- A structured classification of artificial muscle technologies is presented.
- Detailed discussion of electrostatic actuators: dielectric elastomers, polymers, liquid crystal elastomers, film motors, stacked, and microscale devices.
- Identification of challenges like dielectric breakdown, material fatigue, and fabrication complexity limiting deployment.
Conclusions:
- Electrostatic actuators show promise for soft robotics, prosthetics, and wearable devices.
- Overcoming challenges in materials, modeling, integration, and fabrication is crucial for practical application.
- Future research should focus on advancing electrostatic artificial muscles for real-world use.
Keywords:
3D printingHASEL actuatorsactuationactuatorsartificial musclesbiomimetic actuationcontractiondielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs)electroactive polymers (EAPs)electrohydraulicelectrostatic actuatorsferroelectric polymerslinear actuatorsliquid crystal elastomersmicroactuatorsmicrofabricationmusclessmart materialssoft roboticsstrainstress
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