This paper describes a development of a polymer sensor using a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) film. The sensor has a basic structure that an SPE film is sandwiched between thin carbon films, and conductive tapes are attached on each carbon film. The SPE film has a good flexibility and it is one of the most promising electroactive polymers (EAP) with capability to be used as an actuator and a sensor in air. First a displacement sensor using the SPE film was fabricated. The response to deformation was investigated. Then a curvature sensor using the SPE film is proposed. In experiments, it was found that the proposed sensor is available to measure curvature directly without complex calculations.

This paper aims to clarify time response properties of a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) sensor. SPE film has been attracted attention in wide range of fields, and it is expected to be used as soft actuators and sensors. SPE film can reversely convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. Moreover, SPE film is lightweight, flexible, and has good workability and air-stable output. Although authors have been investigated output characteristics of an SPE sensor, time response properties of the sensor have not been inspected. In the paper, to reveal time response properties of the SPE sensor, the sensor output behaviors for several deformation velocities are measured and evaluated. Maximum voltages in the transient response and output attenuations for constant deformation are analyzed. Results show that the attenuation characteristics depend on the sensor deformation velocity, and maximum voltages in the transient response are independent of deformation velocities.

This paper describes a development of a curvature sensor using a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) film. The SPE film has good flexibility, and can be used in air. In previous research, we clarified output response to deformation of the SPE sensor and the relationship between sensor output and sensor curvature. In this paper, output characteristics of the SPE sensor are investigated in detail. Four sensors with different length and width are prepared. And the influence of the SPE sensor on the sensor element shape is investigated. As a result, it is confirmed that there are a several sensors which cause a slight reduction of the sensor output because it is difficult to place the whole sensor element on the sample curve exactly. Concerning with the large sensor, it was confirmed that the reduction of the sensor output is not occurred.

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