Abstract: A wall-crawling robot or other electroadhesive device can include a battery or other low voltage power source driving a motor that provides a primary device function, a voltage convertor adapted to convert the low voltage to a high voltage using the motor output, and electrodes configured to apply the high voltage to produce an electrostatic force between the electroadhesive device and a foreign substrate. The electrostatic force maintains a current position of the electroadhesive device relative to the foreign substrate, and the voltage convertor is separate from the primary function of the electroadhesive device. The primary function can be a mechanism for locomotion, and the voltage convertor can be a Van de Graff generator, a piezoelectric generator, or an inductive switch generator, any of which are driven in a secondary manner as a result of the motor output.

Abstract: An electroadhesive device includes an outer surface adapted to interface with a surface of a foreign substrate, a plurality of electrodes (18), and a semi-conductive insulation material (20) disposed adjacent to at least one of the electrodes (18). Each electrode (18) has a respective conductive volume and is configured to apply a voltage at a respective location of the outer surface, and the difference in voltage between applied voltages includes an electrostatic adhesion voltage that produces an electro-static force between the device and the substrate (16) that is suitable to maintain a current position of the device relative to the substrate (16). The insulation material (20) can be polyurethane or any other suitable material having a resistance of about 109 to 1012 ohms*m. The insulation material effectively operates to expand the conductive volume of the electrodes (18) when they are actuated.

Abstract: An electroadhesive gripping device or system includes a plurality of electroadhesive gripping surfaces, each having electrode(s) and each configured to be placed against respective surface regions of a foreign object, such that one or more electroadhesive forces can be provided between the electroadhesive gripping surfaces and the foreign object. Such electroadhesive forces operating to hold the foreign object against the electroadhesive gripping surfaces while the foreign object is held or moved by the electroadhesive gripping system. The electroadhesive gripping surfaces can be arranged onto a plurality of continuous fingers, and various gripping surfaces on each finger can be coupled together and manipulated with respect to each other by an actuating component, such as a cable actuator. A variable voltage can be delivered to the electrodes to control the amount of electroadhesive force generated, such that only a portion of a foreign object is held or moved.

Abstract: The present invention provides meta-materials with an actively controllable mechanical property. The meta-material includes a deformable structure and a set of activation elements. The activation elements are controllable between multiple states. The meta-material includes a first value for a mechanical property when one or more of the activation elements is in the first activation state and includes a second value for the mechanical property when the activation elements have been activated to the second activation state. In one aspect, the meta-material resembles a composite material where the connectivity between the component materials or shape and arrangement of the component materials is dynamically controllable so as to affect a mechanical property of the meta-material.

Abstract: The present invention provides meta-materials with an actively controllable mechanical property. The meta-material includes a deformable structure and a set of activation elements. The activation elements are controllable between multiple states. The meta-material includes a first value for a mechanical property when one or more of the activation elements is in the first activation state and includes a second value for the mechanical property when the activation elements have been activated to the second activation state. In one aspect, the meta-material resembles a composite material where the connectivity between the component materials or shape and arrangement of the component materials is dynamically controllable so as to affect a mechanical property of the meta-material.

Abstract: The present invention provides meta-materials with an actively controllable mechanical property. The meta-material includes a deformable structure and a set of activation elements. The activation elements are controllable between multiple states. The meta-material includes a first value for a mechanical property when one or more of the activation elements is in the first activation state and includes a second value for the mechanical property when the activation elements have been activated to the second activation state. In one aspect, the meta-material resembles a composite material where the connectivity between the component materials or shape and arrangement of the component materials is dynamically controllable so as to affect a mechanical property of the meta-material.