Search

Soft robotics is a breakthrough technology to support human–robot interactions. The soft structure of a soft robot can increase safety during human and robot interactions. One of the promising soft actuators for soft robotics is dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). DEAs can operate silently and have an excellent energy density. The simple structure of DEAs leads to the easy fabrication of soft actuators. The simplicity combined with silent operation and high energy density make DEAs interesting for soft robotics researchers. DEAs actuation follows the Maxwell-pressure principle. The pressure produced in the DEAs actuation depends much on the voltage applied. Common DEAs requires high voltage to gain an actuation. Since the power consumption of DEAs is in the milli-Watt range, the current needed to operate the DEAs can be neglected. Several commercially available DC-DC converters can convert the volt range to the kV range. In order to get a voltage in the 2–3 kV range, the reliable DC-DC converter can be pricy for each device. This problem hinders the education of soft actuators, especially for a newcomer laboratory that works in soft electric actuators. This paper introduces an entirely do-it-yourself (DIY) Ultrahigh voltage amplifier (UHV-Amp) for education in soft robotics. UHV-Amp can amplify 12 V to at a maximum of 4 kV DC. As a demonstration, we used this UHV-Amp to test a single layer of powdered-based DEAs. The strategy to build this educational type UHV-Amp was utilizing a Cockcroft-Walton circuit structure to amplify the voltage range to the kV range. In its current state, the UHV-Amp has the potential to achieve approximately 4 kV. We created a simple platform to control the UHV-Amp from a personal computer. In near future, we expect this easy control of the UHV-Amp can contribute to the education of soft electric actuators.

The origami technique has been employed in the medical, space, and agricultural industries owing to its low cost and ease of use. In particular, the use of stimuli-responsive materials to automate origami fabrication has garnered interest. In this study, self-folded honeycomb structures (SHSs) were fabricated using the self-folding technique. A sheet of paper undergoes self-folding without human intervention via the physicochemical reactions between the paper and printing solution. Six SHSs with different mechanical properties were fabricated. The relationship between the design and structural parameters was examined. The energy-absorption performance of the structure improved by a factor of 15.2 on employing the optimal parameters. A consistent relationship between the design and compression performance was also discussed. By applying stacking technology, the energy-absorption performance increased by an average of 1753 N·mm per layer. The application of a pre-strain eliminated the compressive force peak that could damage the protected object, while maintaining 90 % of the energy-absorption performance. The proposed technology shows potential for the fabrication of tailored energy absorbers using stimuli-responsive materials, providing a groundbreaking technology for the packaging industry.