| CPC F15B 5/006 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1075 (2013.01); F15B 15/103 (2013.01); F15B 21/065 (2013.01)] | 7 Claims |

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1. An electro-hydraulic actuator, comprising:
a plurality of actuator cells, each actuator cell comprising
a deformable shell that defines an enclosed internal cavity,
a liquid dielectric contained within the enclosed internal cavity,
a first electrode disposed over a first side of the deformable shell, and
a second electrode disposed over a second side of the deformable shell;
wherein a distance between the first and second electrodes decreases from a first reference point on a first reference axis through the enclosed internal cavity to a second reference point on the first reference axis in the absence of a voltage being applied to the first and second electrodes,
wherein, upon application of the voltage to the first and second electrodes, electrostatic forces between the first and second electrodes progressively draws the first and second electrodes to drive the liquid dielectric along a zipping front in a first dimension such that the deformable shell deforms along a strain axis in a second dimension, the second dimension being orthogonal to the first dimension, and
wherein, in at least one of the plurality of actuator cells, a terminal end portion of at least one of the first and second electrodes include a non-linear edge configuration.
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