Compliant Actuators Based on Electroactive Polymers

Abstract

The field of Electroactive Polymers has experienced a considerable amount of expansion over the last decade. Much of this work has been concentrated on developing polymeric materials that mimic biological systems or that exhibit electronic and optical properties similar to inorganic materials. This paper briefly reviews some of the nearer term applications that electroactive polymers might impact: image processing and sonar. In addition, a review of compliant actuators based on the unique properties inherent in electroactive polymers is provided. Emphasis will be placed on the mechanisms responsible for actuation and on the limited mechanical, electrical and chemical data current available. A comparison between mammalian muscle properties and electroactive polymer actuator properties is provided.

Performance of a Dielectric Elastomer Generator Diaphragm as a Smart Composite at Different Pre-Strain Levels

“…Electroactive polymers (EAPs), are an emerging transducer technology that offers many advantages over other smart materials and technologies [1]. Among them, DEs have shown great promise for actuator and sensor applications.…”