Purpose <p>In this article we have proposed a novel design of an SMA actuated bi-stable electromechanical mechanism. The proposed mechanism can be used for several application. In this article, we have discussed the proposed mechanism from the perspective of high-current circuit-breaker switching application.</p> Methods <p>The mechanism is comprised of rigid-links, revolute joints and SMA actuator. The proposed electromechanical mechanism integratedly drives a bistable mechanical mechanism by an SMA actuator in a strategic manner. We have discussed the analysis, design and development of the proposed mechanism followed by its simulation results, prototype development and experimental investigation.</p> Results <p>As a case study, we have constructed a prototype of such a mechanism considering some typical geometrical dimensions and values of the mechanical components. The prototyped mechanism has been experimented under 12&#xa0;V, 3&#xa0;A setup, which exhibits a circuit-breaking response time of around 500&#xa0;ms. These quantitative values are applicable to the reported case study. Any other desired values of response time can be achieved by considering suitable geometrical dimensions and associated quantities.</p> Conclusion <p>This mechanism can be used in several generic applications. Here, the proposed mechanism is exemplified by a high-current circuit-breaker switching application. We have discussed the design trade-off of the proposed SMA-actuator driven circuit-breaker mechanism through a comparison with the design of existing miniature circuit breaker (MCB) switches. The comparison exhibits the potential of the proposed device and its scope in high-current circuit-breaker switching applications. The existing mechanism uses electromagnetic principle and the proposed mechanism operates on SMA effect. This diversity in their operational physics can increase the reliability of a combined switch for the same purpose.</p>