New Incremental Actuators Based on Electroactive Polymer: Conceptual, Control, and Driver Design Considerations

Soft Linear Electroactive Polymer Actuators based on Polypyrrole

There is a growing demand for human-friendly robots that can interact and work closely with humans. Such robots need to be compliant, lightweight and equipped with silent and soft actuators. Electroactive polymers such as conducting polymers (CPs) are “smart” materials that deform in response to electrical simulation and are often addressed as artificial muscles due to their functional similari...

Electroactive Thermoplastic Dielectric Elastomers as a New Generation Polymer Actuators

Nonlinear Force Control of Dielectric Electroactive Polymer Actuators

Electroactive Polymers (EAPs) have a great potential to provide smart solutions to engineering problems in fields such as robotics, medical devices, power generation, actuators and sensors. This is because they yield some important characteristics that are advantageous over conventional types of actuators, like: lower weight, faster response, higher power density and quieter operation. Controll...

Electromechanical Modelling of Ionic Electroactive Polymer Actuators

Migration of ions under electric field is the phenomenon behind the mechanical deformation of ionic polymer actuators. This transport process is influenced by numerous factors depending on the physical, chemical and electrical properties of the material used [1]. Among them porosity and tortuosity are one of the main influencing factors that modifies ion channels and so the properties of the ma...

Freeform Fabrication of Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Electromechanical Devices

In pursuit of the goal of producing complete electromechanical systems entirely via solid freeform fabrication, we are developing a library of mutually compatible, functional, freeform elements. Several essential elements – actuation, sensing, and control electronics still remain to be incorporated into this library. Conducting polymers (CP) are a class of materials which can be used to produce...