We develop a thermodynamic model of electrostriction for elastic dielectrics capable of large deformation. The model reproduces the classical equations of state for dielectrics at small deformation, but shows that some electrostrictive effects negligible at small deformation may become pronounced at large deformation. The model is then specialized to account for recent experiments with an elast...

In this work, we demonstrate a highly birefringent (Hi-Bi) photonic crystal fiber (PCF) infiltrated with PDMS elastomer in order to enhance the sensitivity of the fiber to external temperature variations. Index guiding mechanism of the new PDMS/Silica structure and birefringent properties were investigated numerically and experimentally. We investigated the temperature dependance of birefringen...

We describe a combined force and distance sensor using a commodity infrared distance sensor embedded in a transparent elastomer with applications in robotic manipulation. Prior to contact, the sensor works as a distance sensor (0–10 cm), whereas after contact the material doubles as a spring, with force proportional to the compression of the elastomer (0– 5 N). We describe its principle of oper...

Anesthetics expand cell membranes, and high pressures (about 10-15 MPa) antagonize the anesthetic action. It is also known that inhalation anesthetics expand elastomer membranes. The mechanism of pressure antagonism of anesthetic action on membrane expansion was investigated in the present study with Silastic membranes. Halothane increased the length of Silastic membrane (0.14% per kPa), with a...

This paper theoretically analyzes a dielectric elastomer tube actuator DETA . Subject to a voltage difference between the inner and outer surfaces, the actuator reduces in thickness and expands in length, so that the same voltage will induce an even higher electric field. This positive feedback may cause the actuator to thin down drastically, resulting in electrical breakdown. We obtain an anal...

An optofluidic 1x4 switch is designed, fabricated, and tested. The switch is based on a blazed diffraction grating imprinted onto silicone elastomer at the bottom of a microfluidic channel that is filled with liquids with different refractive indices. When the condition of a diffraction maximum is met, the laser beam incident on the grating is deflected by an angle proportional to the refractiv...

Magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) base isolator is a new semi-active control device that has recently acquired more attention. This paper proposes a new model for MRE base isolator to portray the nonlinear hysteresis between generated force and the displacement. In this model, a hyperbolic expression is proposed to compare with the classical Bouc-Wen model, which includes internal dynamics rep...

We report on the synthesis of nanocomposites with integrated ellipsoidal silica-coated hematite (SCH) spindle type nanoparticles which can act as crosslinking agents within an elastomeric matrix. Influence of the surface chemistry of the hematite, leading either to dispersed particles or crosslinked particles to the elastomer matrix, was studied via swelling, scattering and microscopy experimen...

Dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) micro- and nano-structures are referred to artificial muscles because of their specific continuous power and adequate time response. The bending measurement of an asymmetric, planar DEA is described. The asymmetric cantilevers consist of 1 or 5 μm-thin DEAs deposited on polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrates 16, 25, 38, or 50 μm thick. The application of a...

Multi-stimuli-responsive soft materials introduce a new dimension in the design and control of machines, enhancing their use complex applications. In article number 2100336, Metin Sitti co-workers report bimorph material with uncoupled integration magnetic-responsive elastomer liquid crystal elastomer. This enables heterogeneous properties local addressability for independent separate parts wit...