Designing High-performance Electrical-responsive Artificial Muscles: From Materials to Applications

Electrically responsive artificial muscles (ERAMs), which convert electrical energy into mechanical motion, are increasingly important in soft robotics, energy systems, flexible electronics, and biomedical devices. This chapter reviews the synthetic and natural materials used for ERAMs, and outlines key actuation mechanisms, including electrochemical, electrothermal, and dielectric modes. Strategies to improve actuation speed, actuation strain, actuation stress, work capacity, and power density are critically discussed. Representative applications across different ERAM types are highlighted. This chapter serves as a guide for early-stage researchers and a reference for experts seeking suitable artificial muscles for specific applications.