Patent ID: 8656713

Claim:
An apparatus adapted to perform work, and comprising: an active material actuator securely connected to a fixed structure, and operable to undergo an instance of a reversible change in shape when exposed to and/or occluded from an activation signal, so as to be activated and deactivated respectively, wherein the instance of the change in shape causes at least a portion of the actuator to travel a first distance; a body located at a first position, drivenly communicating with the actuator and separable from the actuator, and translatable over a second distance greater than the first, so as to continue to travel separate from the actuator after the actuator has been fully activated in order to achieve a second position; and a signal source communicatively coupled to the actuator, and operable to cause the instance of the change in shape over a maximum period, said at least the portion and the source being cooperatively configured to transfer a minimum momentum to the body, so as to impart an impulse upon the body and transfer kinetic energy to the body that cause the body to travel the second distance, as a result of the instance of the change in shape.