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Artimus Robotics typically offers soft electrostatic actuators for cm-scale applications. Most of the actuators have dimensions of several centimeters and deliver several millimeters of displacement under load. The photo below shows a standard E-0025 actuator with a nominal diameter of 5 cm. E-0025 Actuator While actuators on this scale are useful for a variety of applications, there are certain applications that only require small displacement – on the order of 1 mm or fewer – and have considerable size constraints. To meet the needs of these small-scale applications, Artimus has developed very small actuators. These actuators weigh less than 1 gram, have widths of 7 mm or fewer, and thicknesses of several hundred microns. These compact actuators provide electrically controlled, high-bandwidth, and silent motion without the use of moving parts or specialized materials that contain hazardous substances such as lead. The photo below shows an example of an actuator in this form factor. Small actuator | 50 mm x 7 mm x 0.4 mm | Mass: 0.3 g The video below demonstrates the dynamic performance of these small actuators and alludes to possible applications requiring very small form factors. Note that the actuators are electrically controlled. Actuation is controlled by an analog voltage signal which allows for variable movements and operation on a wide range of frequencies. In terms of performance, the force-displacement curve below gives a representative example of actuators on this scale. This performance can be altered in several ways to increase force, displacement, or both. Representative plot of force vs. displacement for a miniature actuator These small actuators are ideally suited for applications requiring a displacement of 1-2 mm (0.04” – 0.08”) or less & forces up to 3-4 N (0.7-0.9 lb). Example applications include pumps, valves, positioners, and haptic actuators. Application Example | Actuator for Haptic Feedback 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.

Artimus Robotics offers a new class of haptic actuators that provide controllable and organic motion for realistic haptic feedback across a wide range of frequencies. Touch perception is an integral part of how people interact with the physical world. As a result, simulating touch feedback with haptic technologies has become an important component of modern electronic devices. Humans are already overwhelmed with visual and auditory information, especially in scenarios with a high cognitive load. As a result, haptics is attractive as an alternative method for communicating information with low cognitive load. Haptic vibrations are a familiar part of the user experience for phones and gaming controllers, but the amount and quality of information from buzzing motors is limited. As daily lives become more connected and technologies strive to be more immersive, there is a need for haptic actuators that are effective at communicating a diverse range of signals and information. Want to learn more about HASEL actuators for haptic actuator applications? 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.

HASEL actuators from Artimus Robotics are one of the most advanced haptic actuator technologies (also called tactile actuators, tactile transducers, haptic vibration, vibrotactile, taptic engines, or haptic motors). The soft compliant structure of HASEL actuators makes them ideal for on-body or near-body applications (HASEL actuators are touchable) or physically transparent and unobtrusive when integrated into an on-body or near-body product. HASEL actuators don’t contain metals or magnets - unlike Eccentric Rotating Mass (ERM) actuators, voice coils, piezoelectrics, and other traditional haptic actuator technologies. Instead, they are made from light and flexible materials which makes them a great fit for mobile, portable, and wearable haptic applications. The electric control of HASEL actuators facilitates a wide bandwidth, meaning they work at both high frequencies and low frequencies, and these actuators perform exceptionally well in the low-to-middle range of frequencies (1 Hz to 100 Hz but HASEL actuators can operate below 1 Hz). These frequency ranges allow for a variety of haptic sensations, from low-frequency squeezes to high-frequency vibrations. Additional benefits of HASEL actuators for haptic actuator applications include silent operation, intelligent self-sensing, and the ability to customize shape, size, and performance (see this miniature “fingertip” actuator demonstration). Applications that are actively exploring HASEL actuators for haptic actuator applications include: AR/VR/Metaverse accessories Automotive haptic signals Enterprise training products Gaming accessories Wearables for medical and consumer uses Want to learn more about HASEL actuators for haptic actuator applications? 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.

HASEL actuators from Artimus Robotics offer an innovative and novel actuation mechanism for valves. Typical electric valves use either solenoid or piezoelectric actuators to switch the valve between an open and closed state. Solenoid-actuated valves require a constant supply of current while in the open state, leading to excess power consumption and generation of significant waste heat (high surface temperatures) that must be managed in the valve application. Piezoelectric actuators have low actuation strain and force which limits the fluid pressure and flow that can be controlled by the valve. In contrast, HASEL actuators consume little to no power while holding a position, have high actuation strain (up to 100%) for high-flow valves, and generate forces on the order of 10 N or more. HASEL actuators are capacitive and consume power only when changing actuation states, so power consumption is low when holding the valve in the open or closed state. Because they rely on electrostatic forces, HASEL actuators require very low current for operation, resulting in low-power valves or very efficient valves. In contrast with piezoelectric valves, HASEL actuators in valves can provide control at higher fluid pressure and flow rates, allowing for high-pressure valves and high-flow valves. Additional benefits of using HASEL actuators in valves include analog control (for proportional valves), a non-metal actuation mechanism, and no generation of electromagnetic fields during actuation. Since HASEL actuators are silent, any valve powered by a HASEL actuator will generate less noise during operation, resulting in a quiet valve. Finally, HASEL actuators are capable of self-sensing position, which could eliminate the need for additional sensors to monitor valve position for intelligent valves (smart valves). Relative to traditional piezo or solenoid valves, HASEL actuators from Artimus Robotics can potentially offer: High-pressure valves High-flow valves Quiet valves Low-power valves (efficient valves) Intelligent valves (smart valves) Proportional valves (analog valves) Low-temperature valves (low surface temperature - no waste heat) Want to learn more about HASEL actuators for valve applications? 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.

HASEL actuators from Artimus Robotics require high-voltage, low-current electronics to operate. Although these actuators can work with any high-voltage power supply, nuances in how the voltage is delivered to the actuators can improve actuator performance. To support customer exploration and testing of HASEL actuators, Artimus has developed driving electronics modules specially for Artimus Robotics’ HASEL actuators. These modules are optimized for general use with Artimus’ HASEL actuators but are not optimized for any particular specification, application, or use case. They make ideal accessories for development kit purchases of Artimus Robotics HASEL actuators and typically come with software control programs. To learn more about power supplies and driving electronics from Artimus Robotics please visit the Driving Electronics Product page at artimusrobotics.com or contact us by emailing info@artimusrobotics.com or calling +1 (303) 736-9329. 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.

HASEL actuation technology from Artimus Robotics features intelligent actuators. These actuators are smart and capable of self-sensing, as described in this article. The self-sensing capabilities can be used for many applications, including self-diagnostics and failure prediction, servicing signaling, compliance and fit detection, force and stroke detection, and even grip confirmation and closed-loop force control. The sensitivity or resolution of the sensing capabilities determines applications that can use the actuator as a soft sensor. The true limit of the resolution is to-be-determined, but Artimus has proven sensitivity of the HASEL actuator self-sensing to recognize single-digit grams of mass acting on the actuators. Please see the video below that demonstrates the actuator sensing weights of 10 grams and 2.8 grams. 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.

In support of multiple R&D efforts to increase the lifetime and reliability of HASEL actuators, Artimus Robotics is constantly running lifetime tests of HASEL actuators for customer applications and general R&D projects. These lifetime tests often consist of many identical HASEL actuators running cycle tests in parallel to gather data on both total lifetime and reliability. Additionally, these lifetime tests can be tailored to specific applications, such as testing under load or at different speeds. In the future, Artimus plans to add environmental variables such as humidity and temperature to its lifetime testing capabilities. More information about HASEL actuator lifetimes can be found here. More information about the NSF SBIR Phase 1 project focused on lifetime improvements can be found here. More information about the NASA SBIR Phase 1 project focused on actuator self-diagnostics and failure prediction can be found here. More information on the NSF SBIR and NASA SBIR Phase 2 projects focused on lifetime improvements can be found here. 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.

The Artimus Robotics Summer Internship Program for Engineers continued in 2022 when Artimus hosted two full-time engineering interns for the summer. This program allows interns to work at Artimus Robotics full-time from May to August, gaining practical experience in a fast-growing startup company. Artimus Robotics continued its partnership with the University of Colorado to provide the students with real-world experience in the robotics field while gaining meaningful and impactful work outputs from the students. The program culminated with the interns presenting the final results and recommending the next steps of their summer work to the entire Artimus team. Jess Corbitt Final Presentation Eddie Shi Final Presentation Artimus is extremely grateful to Jess Corbitt and Eddie Shi for their hard work and excellent contributions. Artimus would like to thank the University of Colorado for the placement of these outstanding interns. 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.

Ready to become a HASEL technology expert? There is a new resource available for those looking to increase their knowledge of HASEL actuators. Click here to access the new Artimus Actuator Academy Customers of Artimus Robotics are typically new to the principles of HASEL technology and often wish to learn about the features, capabilities, and benefits of HASEL actuators. Artimus’ blog and YouTube channel are great resources for learning about HASEL actuators, and a new tool is helping customers find educational content within the blog and YouTube channel that is specific to the topic they are most interested in. Artimus has recently launched the Artimus Actuator Academy on the Technology page of the website to educate about the specific benefits of HASEL technology. Do you want to learn how quiet HASEL actuators really are? Click “Silent” to hear a noise comparison of HASEL to other actuator technologies. Or, do you want to know what HASEL design variables can be customized? Click “Customizable” to read about how Artimus varies the design and modularity of HASEL actuators to optimize performance for specific applications. Suggestions? Please provide your feedback to info@artimusrobotics.com on the Artimus Actuator Academy to help inform the next version of this educational tool. Do you think HASEL actuation technology might be a fit for your application? Contact Artimus Robotics at info@artimusrobotics.com or call/text 303-736-9329 to learn more. 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.

Over $3.5 million has recently been won by Artimus Robotics, an actuator component provider for industries such as automotive, medical devices, defense, and automation. This funding will vault Artimus from research to application-based development. The proprietary HASEL actuation technology has already shown incredible potential in many applications, and now this capital will facilitate optimization of the technology for the best applications. Sources of the funding include both private and public origins, such as direct contracts from the U.S. Navy, government contracts and grants from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Army, NASA, and the Department of Energy, and multiple commercial contracts from large corporations. The significant support from the U.S. government exemplifies the dual-use potential of Artimus’ technology: leveraging technology development that benefits both government and commercial applications. The diversity in the sources of this funding demonstrates the wide range of potential applications of HASEL actuation technology. With over $3.5 million in new funding, HASEL technology will advance from a novel area of research to an application-ready motion solution. The capital will be used for HASEL technology improvements necessary for commercial applications. While working with current and potential customers, Artimus has identified the three most critical technical capabilities that HASEL technology must demonstrate to be viable for commercial applications. These are: Performance: Strength and stroke per actuator volume, also known as energy density, is a key R&D focus area for customers in nearly every industry, including automation and automotive. Artimus will use the funds to translate the deep technical knowledge of material science and mechanical engineering to produce next-generation HASEL actuators with previously unrealized performance. Lifetime and Reliability: As a vital hardware component, durable and long-lasting HASEL actuators are critical to justifying the business case of HASEL technology in low-or-no downtime applications. Artimus will use the funds to improve the processing and fabrication capabilities, as well as to achieve a comprehensive understanding of failure modes, to access a new level of reliability and robustness of HASEL actuators. Intelligence: A unique benefit of HASEL actuators is the ability to self-sense force and/or stroke, which has many practical applications. While Artimus has already proven this capability in actuator health diagnostics, failure prediction, and real-time actuator position monitoring, these funds will be used to expand this capability to customer-specific applications, enabling customers to get critical data about their use cases in real-time. The early demonstration of this information has proven very valuable to select use cases and is a high-demand capability in many industries. According to Dr. Eric Acome, CTO at Artimus Robotics, “Over the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with hundreds of potential commercial customers to explore the potential of HASEL actuators in their use cases. This new funding, largely supported by the US government, is directly aimed at the most pressing needs of our current and future customers: improvements in reliability, performance, and intelligence. For the past few years, our incredible team of PhD researchers has developed an extremely robust understanding of underlying mechanisms that affect the performance and functionality of the HASEL actuation technology. With these funds, we have the resources we need to leverage our deep background learnings to benefit our customers.” Artimus Robotics is also using this capital to support a business case for HASEL actuation technology. To compete with existing motion technologies such as pneumatics or servos, the price of HASEL actuators must be low enough to justify their integration. Fortunately, HASEL actuators are made from low-cost and environmentally-friendly materials, but the driving electronics of HASEL actuators have some uncommon components. Part of this funding will be allocated to developing low-cost electronics for HASEL actuators. In the words of Simon Freeman, Program Director at the U.S. Department of Energy ARPA-E, “I am excited about Artimus Robotics’ HASEL technology as a potentially transformative, inexpensive and pressure-agnostic actuator, but the high-voltage, low-current electronics could be a potential cost barrier. By investing in low-cost electronics development to bring forward standard, silicon-based, high-voltage electronics tailored for maritime applications of HASEL technology, we could redefine what is possible in the deep ocean with low-cost HASEL actuator systems for undersea robotics applications.” In support of the technology improvements, Artimus Robotics will be expanding, both in physical space and in the number of employees. In the next 12 months, Artimus will be doubling its employee headcount and will be doubling the size of its facility. As explained by Dr. Tim Morrissey, CEO of Artimus Robotics, “Since the founding of Artimus four years ago alongside Dr. Eric Acome, Dr. Nicholas Kellaris, Dr. Shane Mitchell, and Professor Christoph Keplinger, our team has demonstrated an incredible ability to operate and execute to make significant technical and business progress in an extremely efficient manner. Now that we have secured a new level of funding, along with the refined understanding of the value of Artimus' technology for our customers, we are well positioned to harness the full potential of our actuation technology and accelerate our path to market. Artimus’ expertise in materials science and mechanical engineering has brought HASEL actuation technology to the forefront of our customers’ roadmaps. Now, Artimus needs more passionate and talented people as well as expanded cutting-edge facilities to optimize and validate the technology for those customers. I am extremely optimistic about the future of Artimus and look forward to fully harnessing the potential of our team and technology.” 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.

Artimus Robotics recently completed a six-month study on the use of HASEL artificial muscles for human-scale robotics. Artimus Robotics’ core technology, HASEL actuators (often referred to as artificial muscles), offers lifelike motion that is silent, strong, and fast. These muscles are highly customizable and feature a lightweight form-factor. Over the course of this project, Artimus explored a variety of bioinspired architectures for HASEL actuators ranging in size and shape, thereby broadening their product catalog. Additionally, the team developed novel algorithms for closed-loop position control of HASEL actuators for robotic application requiring precise and accurate motion. To support these advancements, Artimus leveraged the United States Army Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, which committed $166,000 to advancing HASEL actuation technology. This work was also conducted in collaboration with theBio-Inspired Perception and Robotics Laboratory (BPRL) at the University of Colorado Boulder, which developed new methods for closed-loop control of the actuators. The Phase I project proved to be highly successful, with all the research goals completed to a satisfactory level. Many of the key findings, such as the development of custom-sized actuators, have already been translated to Artimus Robotics’ commercial customers in industries spanning automotive and industrial automation, demonstrating the multi-use capabilities of HASEL actuators. Motivation of the Army to explore HASEL actuation technology The US Army Research Office (ARO) has long been interested in advanced robotic technologies to augment and advance human capabilities. After many years of bringing forward a variety of robotics applications, “The Army has identified actuation of robotics as a critical need for a variety of Army stakeholders to one day fully realize the benefits of next generation robotic technologies” as indicated by Dr. Joseph Myers of ARO. In mid 2020, the Army issued a research call, A20B-T007 titled: Actuation for Human-Scale Dynamic Whole-Body Manipulation, specifically requesting the development of proof-of-concepts of new actuator technologies. Furthermore, this call sought specific technologies, one of which (HASEL actuators) is the core technology offered by Artimus Robotics, stating: “The goal is to provide examples of scalable forms of actuation (size and number) which may be seen as viable options for improving the performance and efficiency of next generation robotics mechanisms. New forms of actuator which can deliver human scale forces and moments in lightweight and energy efficient configurations such as hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic (HASEL) soft actuators or other less common electrostatic-based actuators which have potential for making systems with less mass, less cost, and compatible with morphologies requiring distributed actuation are examples.” The benefits of HASEL actuators to provide, small, silent, smart, and controllable actuation performance exemplifies how Artimus was the perfect fit to address the needs of the Army, as indicated again by Dr. Myers, “We see HASEL actuation technology as a potential game changer in a variety of defense use cases.” Key results and learnings summarized below: 1. Families of actuators. Artimus has developed a manufacturing infrastructure to design and fabricate HASEL actuators in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Thanks to these flexible manufacturing processes, these designs (and countless others) can be realized in a matter of days through Artimus Robotic’ Custom Development program, making HASEL actuators perfect for prototyping unique motion challenges. 2. Bio inspired. Artimus explored a variety of potential bioinspired morphologies that are applicable to HASEL actuators. One exemplary bioinspired use case, which was of mutual interest to the Army and Artimus, was prototyped, studied, and validated over the course of the project. 3. Smart Actuation. Artimus is committed to bringing intelligent HASEL actuators out of the laboratory setting and into real-world application. Before this project all sensing capabilities of HASEL actuators had been tethered to lab scale systems (seen in the link below), but this project has allowed Artimus to developed new sensing techniques that can be applied to portable electronics sold to customers. 4. Closed-loop Control. Through their partnership with the BPRL at the University of Colorado Boulder, Artimus demonstrated precision control of robotic systems based on HASEL actuators. The results of this work were presented at 2022 IEEE 5th International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft). 5. Theory for Improved Performance of HASEL Actuators. As Artimus brought forward a variety of customizable actuators, another critical consideration of these actuators is their physical performance, namely their stroke and force. Using theory originally developed at the University of Colorado Boulder, Artimus developed a user-friendly tool to quickly explore the effects of various design parameters on the performance of the actuators. This tool lays the groundwork for developing the next generation of high-strength HASEL actuators, which is a priority for many of the current customers of Artimus Robotics. All current and future customers of Artimus Robotics are encouraged to reach out to Artimus to explore how these recent advancements can be applied to their application. Next steps between Artimus and the Army Artimus was successful in accomplishing all the stated technical goals proposed in this Phase I project. The Army and Artimus have outlined a variety of potential use cases of HASEL actuators, which are currently at various states of evaluation. Furthermore, the Army is exploring ways in which they can deploy their expertise in materials science, electronics, and novel applications to support the research needs of Artimus. Due to the promising results of this Phase I project, Artimus has proposed to the ARMY a second phase to further advance the sensing capabilities of HASEL actuators, implement a novel control strategy applicable to any size or shaped actuator, as well as develop HASEL actuators with high energy density. Learn more about Artimus Robotics’ ARMY STTR award here: https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/2162161 Buy some of the actuators developed during this project here: https://www.artimusrobotics.com/products

Artimus Robotics completed a six-month study on the potential of HASEL actuators to offer self-diagnosis capabilities. A key feature of HASEL actuation technology is the capacitive nature of the devices, which enables the ability to monitor the state of the actuator in real-time by monitoring the driving electrical signal. Artimus leveraged the NASA Small Business Innovation Research Program to dedicate $125k to further exploring a variety of self-diagnosis capabilities of HASEL actuators. The goals of this project were successfully completed, and many of them have already been translated to Artimus Robotics’ commercial customers in industries such as automotive and industrial automation, demonstrating the dual-use capabilities of HASEL actuation. Motivation of NASA to explore HASEL actuation technology As NASA aims to return to the Moon, the reliability and safety of critical system components need to be reexamined. For next-generation mechanical reliability to be realized, a new class of intelligent components is required that can actively monitor their own state, performance, or other functional attributes to ensure efficacy. This intelligence will be critical in ensuring system success and adaptation to unknown environments, rather than relying on predetermined testing which inherently cannot replicate the actual conditions the system or component will be subject to once in operation. These intelligent systems are a subset of a variety of Autonomous Operations Technologies (AOT), which can adapt to external stimuli with minimal to no human interaction. A particular family of intelligent systems is actuators, and more specifically, actuators with self-diagnosis capabilities. The self-diagnosis and calibration-on-demand capabilities of intelligent actuators will verify proper operation and lead to an overall decrease in operation and maintenance (O&M) cost by detecting anomalies/faults and modifying operation appropriately, leading to increased control and potential for fault recovery. Key results and learnings are summarized below: Failure detection. By monitoring the electrical driving signal of the HASEL actuator, a robust good/bad characterization was demonstrated, unlocking the ability to detect faulty HASEL actuators. This ability to detect failure has potential applications in NASA launch systems, as well as any smart-enabled application - especially industrial automation. Predictive failure detection and avoidance. Using advanced monitoring of the electrical driving signal of the HASEL actuator, a predictive behavior of the actuator was established which was indicative of impending failure. This predictive indicator enabled the life of the HASEL actuator to be extended. This ability to predict impending failure and avoid failure could be critical in remote NASA applications and also be highly applicable to any terrestrial application where reliability and uptime are essential. Displacement monitoring and confirmation. Using advanced monitoring of the electrical driving signal of the HASEL actuator, the actuation stroke can be monitored in real-time to determine the physical state of the actuator or connected mechanical subsystems. This self-sensing capability has applications in areas such as end effectors to determine a quality grasp, general actuation to detect blockage, or monitoring force input. Three exemplary videos are provided below demonstrating these abilities. All customers are encouraged to reach out directly to understand how these NASA-sponsored advancements can be applied to their soft actuator use case. Potential NASA Applications The use of actuators in space - as on earth - is vast and wide. There are a variety of NASA application areas that could potentially adopt HASEL actuators. Artimus was extremely fortunate to receive extensive support from many stakeholders internal to the NASA organization, where potential use cases were discussed and explored, namely: Dust seals - The intelligence and high degree of compliance in HASEL actuators have potential benefits for making a robust and reliable sealing structure. For example, the HASEL actuator seal could be in a highly deformable rest state, allowing for ease of use when sealing two surfaces together. The actuator could then be electrically activated and stiffened. While doing so, the intelligence of the actuator could perform tasks such as confirming sealing or detecting debris. Activation of deployable structures - The low weight and compliance of the HASEL actuator has the potential to be highly synergistic with deployable structures such as shelters on future missions to the Moon and Mars. Suits/Compression Devices - HASEL actuators have great value in replacing pneumatics for compression devices. Actuator development for use in mechanical counterpressure (MCP) suits and in assistive devices has the potential to be highly impactful. Experimental actuator replacement - HASEL actuators are well suited for replacing slow and inefficient Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators, low-stroke piezoelectric actuators, wax actuators, or other niche actuation technologies. Next steps between Artimus and NASA Artimus was successful in accomplishing all the stated technical goals proposed for this Phase I project and also made significant inroads with a variety of customers and applications. This NASA SBIR research was directly aimed at the needs of Artimus’ current and future customers, making Artimus an exemplary partner of the SBIR program. These business advancements were supported by additional sources such as the NASA I-Corps program, external funding, and product sales. After realizing success during the Phase I project, Artimus has requested additional support from NASA in the form of a Phase II SBIR to explore higher fidelity sensing capabilities and to transition the self-diagnosis system to a standalone package. About the NASA SBIR program The NASA SBIR/STTR program funds the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA's needs as described in the annual solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. For more information, visit https://sbir.nasa.gov/ Learn more about Artimus Robotics’ NASA SBIR award here: https://sbir.nasa.gov/SBIR/abstracts/21/sbir/phase1/SBIR-21-1-H10.02-2583.html