• advanced actuation technologies
• electrostatic actuator
• lightweight actuator
• multilayer actuator
• space application
• space environment
• vacuum actuator
• zipping actuator

Countless applications today require light, compact and compliant actuators, able to work on millimetric and centimetric scales with high energy efficiencies and energy densities. However, today’s consolidated technologies, show intrinsic limitations at this scale.
To solve this problem, new classes of electrostatic actuators are quickly developing. Electrostatic actuators would also offer lightweight, efficient actuation alternatives for space application, where power dissipation is critical and weight is costly.
This thesis presents a novel multilayer zipping electrostatic actuator that can work in vacuum. It is based upon a flexible polymeric film structure and it can produce newton-range forces with millimetre-range displacements.
An analytical model of the actuator has been developed to predict its behaviour and a simple manufacturing process has been devised. An experimental campaign has been carried out using a custom designed vacuum setup based on a real-time simulation/acquisition/testing device and a high frame rate camera.
The actuator has been shown to be working in vacuum, even though the tests highlighted a significant deviation from its theoretical model. The actuator achieved forces and displacements in the desired range, showing that the proposed architectural solutions constitute a viable approach for designing future electrostatic actuators for space applications.