In this study, tube-shaped ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) mechanoelectrical transducers have been examined through simulation and experimental investigation for use as multi-directional sensor devices. It should be noted that cation migration simulations provide keen insight into the differences in actuation and sensing phenomena in IPMC transducers. COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3b is used to achieve 3D time-based finite element simulations, including all relevant physics. A physics-based model is proposed to simulate mechanoelectrical transduction of 3D shaped IPMCs. Configuration of interest is a tube-shaped IPMC with multi-directional transducer capabilities. Also, the fabricated IPMCs have an outer diameter of 1 mm and a length of 20–25 mm. Multi-directional sensing results are presented. The cation rise in a very small (roughly 10 micrometers) sub-surface layer near the electrodes is several orders of magnitude larger in case of actuation than in case of sensing. Furthermore, the signal produced from sensing is of opposite charge direction as that provided as input for actuation to achieve the same displacement. However, cation rise is in the same direction, indicating anion concentration change as the primary effect in sensing. The proposed model is independent of general geometry and can be readily applied to IPMC sensors of other complex 3D shapes.

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