HASEL actuator technology is based on electrostatic operating principles. In this rare area of physics, a high voltage (very low current) is required to create a sufficient electrostatic field to provide the desired actuator performance. Many customers do not have easy access to high-voltage sources in their applications, so Artimus Robotics provides driving electronic modules to power HASEL actuators. These driving electronic modules are ideal for testing a variety of actuator designs across a wide range of operating conditions (just like Artimus’ standard actuator products are great for initial evaluations prior to designing custom actuators or development). Once the customer has identified the best actuator design and operating conditions for the application, Artimus Robotics will use those inputs to optimize the design of the driving electronic module for performance, efficiency, size, weight, and any other factors that are critical to the application. The internal components of the driving electronic module can also be integrated into any existing electronics in the customer’s application (including battery power sources for portable applications) and can be controlled by the customer’s existing software.
Artimus Robotics currently uses off-the-shelf high-voltage amplifiers and other electronic components in the driving electronic modules. The particular high-voltage low-power components are uncommon and only used in a few niche applications in scientific equipment and satellites. These applications require extremely high levels of precision and the components are much more sophisticated than what Artimus needs for driving HASEL actuators. The extreme precision coupled with the sparse manufacturers of these components makes them very expensive and not acceptable for many of the applications where HASEL technology excels, such as in consumer products, automotive, and industrial automation. To solve this problem, Artimus Robotics is internally developing low-cost driving electronics that meet the pricing requirements of cost-sensitive applications at scale. The low-cost electronics are designed for the ideal precision and specifications required by HASEL actuators, and optimized for the high-voltage low-power technology, providing customers with a more cost-effective electronics module than the current off-the-shelf solutions.
Want to learn more about low-cost electronics development efforts? Contact Artimus Robotics at info@artimusrobotics.com.
About Artimus Robotics
Artimus Robotics designs and manufactures soft electric actuators. The technology was inspired by nature (muscles) and spun out of the University of Colorado. HASEL (Hydraulically Amplified Self-healing ELectrostatic) actuator technology operates when electrostatic forces are applied to a flexible polymer pouch and dielectric liquid to drive shape change in a soft structure. These principles can be applied to achieve a contracting motion, expanding motion, or other complex deformations. For more information, please visit Artimus Robotics or contact info@artimusrobotics.com.