Patent 12023806 was granted and assigned to Zhejiang University on July, 2024 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A soft electrohydrodynamic actuator includes an actuating unit. The actuating unit includes a flexible pouch, a rod electrode, a dielectric fluid, an enameled wire, a hose and a planar flexible electrode. The inner cavity of the flexible pouch is provided with the rod electrode and filled with the dielectric fluid. The hose is hermetically connected to a side of the flexible pouch. The enameled wire is hermetically sleeved in the hose. One end of the enameled wire extends into the inner cavity of the flexible pouch through the hose and is electrically connected to an end of the rod electrode. The other end of the enameled wire is connected to a high-voltage positive electrode. The outer surface of the flexible pouch is coated with a layer of conductive soft material as the planar flexible electrode, or a water environment around the flexible pouch is used as the planar flexible electrode.