How inhomogeneous zipping increases the force output of Peano-HASEL actuators

Please take a look at our newest paper in Extreme Mechanics letters. In this paper we investigate why Peano-HASEL (Hydraulically Amplified Self-healing Electostatic) actuators zip inhomogeneously at large loads. We develop a theoretical model to explain the phenomenon and validate it experimentally. We show that inhomogeneous zipping increases the blocking force of Peano-HASEL actuators by ~50% compared to homgenous zipping. Even though our analysis is limited to Peano-HASEL actuators, the physical principle is valid for other geometries of HASEL acutators, too.