DADHICHI: Electrostatic Manipulation of Soft Matter for Rendering Reality

Electrostatic fields can move soft materials, a phenomenon known since the early days of development of electricity, first observed almost 200 years ago by Alessandro Volta. However, practical exploration of electrostatic effects on soft materials only gained momentum in the last 25 years, leading to devices like dielectric elastomers and electrohydraulic actuators. This dissertation, DADHICHI, explores new systems that leverage electrostatic fields to manipulate soft matter. It demonstrates creation of innovative machines, including fast-moving soft robotic butterflies and wearable haptic interfaces using soft electrohydraulic effects. In addition, it showcases an electrostatic system that controls and guides soft material streams in desirable fashion, proposing a novel approach towards building motionless 3D printers.