In recent years, electroactive polymers (EAP) materials have gained recognition as potential actuators with unique capabilities having the closest performance resemblance to biological muscles. Ion-exchange membrane metallic composites (IPMC) are one of the EAP materials with such a potential. The strong bending that is induced by IPMC offers attractive actuation for the construction of various...

Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) are a group of metallic alloys that can return to their original shape when subjected temperature transformation between two phases. SMAs have been used as an alternative solution conventional actuators in different applications the robotics, biomedical, aerospace and automation domains because characteristics; being one leading solutions fields such soft robotics bio-...

The presence of van der Waals (vdW) force can lead to mechanical instability in freestanding nano-scale actuators. Most of the previous researches in this area have exclusively focused on modeling the instability in actuators with one actuating components. While, less attention has been paid to actuators consist of two actuating components. Herein, the effect of the vdW force on the instability...

Abstract. Shape memory alloy (SMA) is a kind of active deformation material with self-sensing and driving ability. It very similar to the performance human muscles, through temperature changes produce phase output force displacement, it has ability restore initial shape size. The combination SMA wearable robotic technology advantages being light weight, energy-saving, having great human–exoskel...

This work introduces a novel concept of modular, shape-adaptable sandwich panel with distributed actuation system based on shape memory alloys (SMA). The consists modular arrangement rigid cells connected compliant active joints. Each joint hosts SMA wire, which can be controlled independently, enabling the to achieve multiple shapes and complex curvatures single design. A numerical model actua...

Shape memory alloys are smart materials. Due to their ability to change into a previously imprinted actual shape through the means of thermal activation, they are suitable as actuators for microsystems and, within certain limitations, macroscopic systems. To apply these smart materials to a wide range of industrial applications, a simple method of controlling the actuator effect is required. Th...