Eyeball pseudo-muscular actuators for an android face

The human attention system is based on the capability of the eye of focusing and tracking. These actions are performed by the eyeball muscle system, as a consequence of visual stimuli. The F.A.C.E. (Facial Automaton for Conveying Emotions) project at our lab concerns the development of an android face endowed with dynamic expressiveness and artificial vision. Aimed at realising an artificial attention system for such an automaton, we present here a study for the development of pseudo-muscular polymer actuators for its eyeballs. The system is based on the mimicry of the muscular architecture of the human eye. In particular, linear actuators made of dielectric elastomers have been designed to replicate actions exerted by the main ocular muscles.