A paper-based electrostatic zipper actuator for printable robots

A paper-based electrostatic zipper actuator for printable robotics has been designed, fabricated and characterized. A simple fabrication process that utilizes paper with a carbon nanotube ink is used to create electrodes separated by either a mylar or parylene dielectric layer. A 5 cm × 1 cm actuator demonstrated a maximum static deflection of 1.8 cm and a bandwidth of approximately 12 Hz. Static power dissipation was under 1 μW. Two of these actuators are combined to demonstrate simple motion in a 6 cm × 1 cm × 1 cm robot using assymetric friction with the ground, achieving speeds up to 33 mm/min.