| NSF Org: |
TI Translational Impacts |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | May 15, 2020 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | October 20, 2020 |
| Award Number: | 2014648 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Muralidharan Nair
TI Translational Impacts TIP Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships |
| Start Date: | May 15, 2020 |
| End Date: | May 31, 2021 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $224,998.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $249,998.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2985 STERLING CT STE B BOULDER CO US 80301-2321 (315)867-7773 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
3380 34th St., Unit C Boulder CO US 80301-1950 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
SBIR Phase I, SBIR Outreach & Tech. Assist |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.084 |
ABSTRACT
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to advance the development of mechanical devices used in robotics systems. Despite advancements in AI and computer vision, robots and machines are still limited by the actuators used: Motors are heavy, expensive, and not adaptable for variable tasks, while pneumatics are plagued by trade-offs between speed and portability, low efficiency, and controllability. This Phase I project focuses on the development of Hydraulically Amplified Self-Healing ELectrostatic (HASEL) actuators - a new class of self-sensing, high-speed, soft electrohydraulic actuators with benefits in high performance, low cost, and versatility. Phase I will address the failure mechanisms of HASEL actuators in order to improve reliability and robustness for applications including industrial automation, consumer robotics, and defense.
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to investigate and enhance the electromechanical performance of HASEL actuators to evaluate their long-term commercial viability. The three key objectives of this project are: 1) Studying the dielectric characteristics of the HASEL actuators using material science approaches to enhance the breakdown strength of actuators, (2) Investigating the influence of inhomogeneous electric field concentration on HASEL actuators using electromechanical testing to further mitigate the influence of such effects, and, 3) Translating the results from objectives 1 and 2 to develop and characterize HASEL actuators using industrially-relevant metrics such as force output, lifetime, and specific energy.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Artimus Robotic's NSF Phase I SBIR research was aimed at investigating and enhancing the electromechanical performance of HASEL actuators. HASEL actuators are a new class of soft, electrostatically controlled actuators. The disruptive innovation of HASEL actuators lies in the use of electrostatic forces to drive a soft hydraulic structure. HASEL actuators provide the beneficial features of: analog motion, mechanical compliance, high speed, high strain, silent, lightweight, customizable, and sensing.
Over the course of this research, Artimus completed an advanced scientific study on a variety of material properties and the subsequent impact those properties have on the performance of HASEL actuators. Specifically the overall physical strength (specific energy) of the actuators was increased by over 4X over the course of the project. Additionally, the lifetime of the actuators was radically enhanced. The variability of the actuators performance over the life of the actuators was also studied and found to be highly consistent under certain operating conditions. Independent of this award but over the course of the year, Artimus also introduced a suite of new development products of different form factor and functionality.
The broader impacts of this work include enhancing the scientific understanding of the interaction of high electrostatic fields with unique material composites, the understanding of dielectric breakdown, and the methods in which performance of a HASEL actuator can be improved. Additionally, Artimus was able to create new jobs in Colorado, contribute to an educational ecosystem, and provide enabling technologies to encourage US commercial competitiveness.
Last Modified: 06/01/2021
Modified by: Timothy G Morrissey
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