This course introduces to students the basic structure, principle and working characteristics of common and cutting-edge actuators in robotics, including electromagnetic motor, soft pneumatic actuator, hydraulic driver, piezoelectric motor, electrostatic actuator, shape memory alloy, ion-exchange polymer metal composite (IPMC) and dielectric elastomer, etc. This course committed to educating students with knowledge of the driving technologies mentioned above, to design and analyse basic actuators, to further master the calculation methods of the key parameters of common actuators, and finally, to select the appropriate actuators in the process of robot design. This course also aims to foster the capability of innovation and academic writing and presentation, by develop new actuators from the basic principles.