Facebook Technologies, LLC

Thomas Wallin

Andrew John Ouderkirk

Katherine Marie Smyth

Tanya Malhotra

Christopher Yuan Ting Liao

Austin Lane

Jack Lindsay

Yigit Menguc

Yigit Mengue

Ken Diest

A device, such as an electroactive device, may include primary electrode and a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode. An electroactive polymer element may include a composite polymer material and is disposed between and abuts each of the primary electrode and the secondary electrode. A phase change or other deformable medium such as a liquid, a gas, or a liquid-gas mixture may be disposed as inclusions within the polymer material. The device can be actuated by the application of a voltage between the electrodes and the attendant formation of a Maxwell stress, exposing the deformable medium to a source of radiation, changing a pressure of the deformable medium, or changing a temperature of the deformable medium, e.g., about a phase transformation temperature of the phase change medium.

Phase-change composites for electroactive devices

In some embodiments, an electroactive device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electroactive element disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The electroactive element may include a plurality of voids distributed within the electroactive element. The electroactive device may have a non-uniform electroactive response based at least in part on a non-uniform distribution of voids within the electroactive element. The non-uniform electroactive response may include a non-uniform sensor response or a non-uniform actuation response. Various other methods, systems, apparatuses, and materials are also disclosed.

Systems and methods using patterned nanovoids for actuation and deformation sensing

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Thomas Wallin