Artificial Muscles and Hybrid Actuation Devices Including Artificial Muscles Having Reinforcing Threads to Prevent Permanent Deformation

A hybrid actuation device including an artificial muscle is disclosed. The artificial muscle includes a housing including a first reinforcing thread extending across an expandable fluid region of the housing, an electrode pair positioned in an electrode region of the housing, and a dielectric fluid housed within the housing. The electrode pair includes a first electrode positioned adjacent a first surface of the housing and a second electrode positioned adjacent a second surface of the housing. The electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region. The first reinforcing thread restricts expansion of the expandable fluid region when the electrode pair is in the actuated state.