Short lifetime under high electrical fields hinders the widespread robotic application of linear dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). Systematic scanning is difficult due to time-consuming per-sample testing and the high-dimensional parameter space affecting performance. To address this, we propose an optimization pipeline enabled by a novel testing robot capable of scanning DEA lifetime. The robot integrates electro-mechanical property measurement, programmable voltage input, and multi-channel testing capacity. Using it, we scanned the lifetime of Elastosil-based linear actuators across parameters including input voltage magnitude, frequency, electrode material concentration, and electrical connection filler. The optimal parameter combinations improved operational lifetime under boundary operating conditions by up to 100% and were subsequently scaled up to achieve higher force and displacement output. The final product demonstrated resilience on a modular, scalable quadruped walking robot with payload carrying capacity (>100% of its untethered body weight, and >700% of combined actuator weight). This work is the first to introduce a self-driving lab approach into robotic actuator design.

翻译：在高电场下寿命较短阻碍了线性介电弹性体致动器（DEAs）在机器人领域的广泛应用。由于单样本测试耗时且影响性能的参数空间维度高，系统性扫描难以实现。为此，我们提出了一种由新型测试机器人驱动的优化流程，该机器人能够扫描DEA的寿命。该机器人集成了机电性能测量、可编程电压输入和多通道测试能力。利用该平台，我们扫描了基于Elastosil的线性致动器在不同参数下的寿命，包括输入电压幅值、频率、电极材料浓度和电连接填充物。最优参数组合在边界工作条件下将运行寿命提高了高达100%，并随后通过放大尺寸实现了更高的力和位移输出。最终产品在模块化、可扩展的四足行走机器人上展现了良好的弹性，具备负载能力（>其无缆体重的100%，且>所有致动器总重量的700%）。本工作首次将自主实验室方法引入机器人致动器设计领域。